Lion King 4, Book II: Reuniting the Pasts
by Daggermouth
Summary: After Prince Kopa has returned to the Pridelands, it seems Kopa is not the only lion to of cheated death. Four journeys have begun in search for the past which was lost. But the past they hope to find could mean the destruction of a delicate balance...
1. The Tale of Kopa, Part One

**Author:**Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author:** It's back, book two obviously follows straight after the first book, if you haven't read the first book, go read it! As the book title suggests, this book features lots more flashbacks from the secretive past...

**Lion King 4  
****Chapter: ****I****– ****The Tale of Prince Kopa, Part One.**

In the warmth of the savannah a newly formed tide covered with thick broken logs presents itself on the rocky coast of the Pridelands. In the coastal waves a figure of a lioness is washed away with the tide. With no strength to raise her legs she crawls out of the water and trundles further onto the coast. She wheezes for breath only to cough up water. The strong waves trying to haul her back into the rushing river she came down from. The lioness almost reached the end of her life after falling from a reasonable height into the water and swept down the gorge when the dam broke. The waters crushed upon her with such power and ferocity the next second she could breathe was on this coast, but now she was greedily swallowing the air before eventually awakening and started coming to her senses over than the tang of wet groggy dirt and sand in her mouth. She rubs her bleak face and eyes with a broken paw. She shakes her golden furred body to release the water and only then she does look up at the horizon and stare at Priderock still standing strong in the distance. With cowardly eye's she draws her chipped claws and weakly hobbles off alongside the golden twilight coast into lands yet unknown.

**Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts.  
**  
Kopa floods with optimism. His face lights up as he gases upon Vitani, the cub he loved and the cub who he wanted to be his queen now as an adult. A lioness he hasn't heard of or seen of in a very long time. Muttering her name in his head Kopa shakes his head in disbelieve but rushes directly towards her. Vitani smiles for the first time in a long while and the two of them run together before finally embracing eachother in an almighty nuzzle.

"I thought you were dead," Vitani says as they lovingly nuzzle one another,  
"I thought you were too," Kopa smiles filled with hope and joy, a final salty tear trickles down his cheek. Simba and Nala both rush down from Priderock to see the two old mates nuzzling one another they smile together as Zazu swoops down and Rafiki appears from the cavern, Kovu looks in surprise but only scowls and remains in the shadow of Priderock. Everyone smiles accept Kovu, it's only at that moment the dark storm clouds divide apart above Priderock and a single ray of light blasts through the grey clouds shining down solely upon Kopa and Vitani. The successor has returned.

As their loving nuzzle ends and the storm cloud slowly part above them the mates gaze longingly upon eachother once more, time has not been so kind to Vitani, her face changed with the spiral of depression she felt when Kopa was deemed dead. For once, now she is smiling, the look in her face suddenly lights up, she is no longer the gloomy looking lioness she was at her mother Zira's side and now for the first time Kopa can now find the words he failed to say all those many years ago: "I love you."  
Those words opened up Kovu's heart as he looks down at his dark paws and then at the new scar he scratched along Kopa's right eye. Thinking what a fool he is to attack a prince. Perhaps his anger just got the better of him, when his hopes were so suddenly crushed knowing the tales of his father were fake Kopa was there to take the fall. But this did not excuse the fact of what Kopa did. All to be addressed later it seems as it's Nala who steps forward next to nuzzle her only son, Kopa will always be her baby. The scar on Kopa's right eye drips a single small drop of blood but he ignores the stinging pain and just turns to face everyone with a warm smile, he sits down upon the ground and slowly starts to reminisce of his past, he begins by telling his story. Just what happened to the forgotten prince for all these years? This is the true chronicle of prince Kopa—

_'—The tale of Kopa takes place in the time just after the demise of the dark king Scar who used to be named Taka in his cub years. A time when Sarabi was still with the living, the Hyena's were chased off and peace was declared in the Pridelands once more. Nonetheless the battles which just past and the actions of Scar had left the Pridelands destroyed and ominously dark. So during this time all the inhabitants of Priderock had to migrate and journey to the outskirts of the Grass Wall: Rafiki's fatherland. Here they waited for the Pridelands itself to recover and bloom once more from Scar's reign of starvation and drought. It was called the Great Migration, the date everyone had to leave Priderock. Zira also migrated away from Priderock, she had just seen the death of her mate Scar, and for the duration of Scar's reign she was spent in recluse raising their two cubs Nuka and Vitani. At the Grass Wall Zira had a third cub named Kovu, the cub Scar had already chosen to be his successor. No one truly knows why Scar chose Kovu to be the next Lion King and to this day it remains a complete mystery. But during this time called the Great Migration; Kopa was also born from his mother Nala and his father Simba. After the Pridelands recovered from the drought of Scar's reign Kopa was immediately presented to the Pridelands which were now flourishing with new greenery and wildlife, however Kovu was never presented. This saw Zira's hate grow, not only does she blame Simba for her mate's Scar's death but now Kovu has been pushed out of becoming the Lion King! That day Zira vowed for revenge, while she was allowed to stay in the Pridelands by the kindness of Simba she hatched an evil plan to act her revenge on the newly born but unsuspecting prince Kopa._

_Kopa was always a mommy's boy; on the star filled nights of the equinox grandmother and son would lie together on a wide terrace of Priderock telling stories of a hopeful and bright new future for everyone in the Pridelands. If lucky they would sometimes see shooting stars majestically jet across the blackness of the night sky. Kopa would always try to locate patterns in the stars whilst laid on his back. The prince's enthusiasm and charisma made Sarabi feel younger than her years. Kopa regularly slept beneath the stars after his grandmother departed for the lion's den, their wondrous brightness amazed the young cub. Kopa was always the charmer and stronger than his father Simba was at his age, his reddish-brown mane between his ears had also developed early and this brought the attention of many of the younger female cubs, although Kopa never boasted about this mainly because he never even noticed the attention he got. Here in the Pridelands, he was content. Kopa lays his sleepy head upon his crossed paws; his tired eyes slowly close as he peacefully falls into sleep._

_Sunrise, and a shining new bright morning begins, the sun brightly radiates the Pridelands as it always did in the clear blue morning sky. The Pridelands were awaking with chirping insects, singing birds and much more lively wildlife all around. Everyone had just arrived back from the Great Migration and the land had recovered from Scar reign, fresh grass was grown, flowers have bloomed again and the Pridelands were as good as new. But as the darkness of night fades away a silent figure of a lion slowly creeps its way across the rocky ledge to the sleeping prince Kopa, making no sounds other than low breathing, just a few more steps towards the cub... Suddenly the lion lets out an almighty and powerful roar behind the unsuspecting Kopa. The young cub Kopa jumps out of his sleep and turns quickly looking up with his ears folded back and his heart racing._

_"Ha; I got you!" Afua laughs after just scaring his younger best friend. Kopa breathes a sigh of relief as Afua ruffles Kopa's mane with his paw. Afua is one of Kopa's older friends, standing much taller than the prince, with dark tanned fur and brown ears and also small clumps of black fur on top of both his ears. Like Kopa, Afua's mane developed early and his fur tail is half colored half black and half brown. But Afua's most distinctive feature is that he always stands with his paws facing outwards. Kopa frowns and tries to relax after just awakening hastily. Afua sits and grins,_  
_"I can't stay long little buddy; I promised Beba I would stay with her tonight, afterall it's the date of Equinox Sunset, I'm sharing it with Beba, who will you go with Kopa?" Afua questions his friend as Kopa tilts his head and begins to think, the Equinox Sunset happens only once every year during the summer seasons, the sun would shine its upmost greatest and the sky would light up in a display of orange, red and yellow lights. Kopa was excited to see the Equinox Sunset as this was the one night for him to share with someone special to him. They're plenty of younger female cubs but Kopa never really understood love, he just wanted to have adventures and fun. Afua wasn't going to stay all morning watching his friend gaze into the air, he needed to find Beba. According to Afua, Beba was a fast African leopard with a small white maine, Afua always exaggerated on how fast she could run, saying she was faster than a lightning flash. Kopa and his friends have never seen Beba, infact Afua and Kopa once even got into an argument one time because Afua constantly talked only about her, Kopa got jealous and fell out with Afua as friends sometimes do, but the two of them quickly made amends and Kopa was taught was valuable lesson that day. After bidding his friend a quick farewell Afua runs off into the Pridelands leaving Kopa to stand on a small rocky terrace of Priderock and look out to someone to share the sunset with. The young cub shakes his head of the nonsense and climbs down Priderock onto the grass,_

_"And where do you think you're going young prince?" A stern voice suddenly pierces the air. It's Zazu. The hornbill marches up to the prince three times his size. Zazu is suppose to be watching over Kopa as ordered from the king. Kopa thinks to himself and grins coming up with a genius plan to get away from Zazu so he can explore the Pridelands independently. Kopa jumps on Zazu's back and after rolling around playfully in a scuffle Kopa ditches Zazu running as fast as he can, Zazu on the other hand is left in a heap on Priderock, fluttering his wings he quickly takes off once more._

_Not so far away from Priderock, two other cubs from a different family are lying in the sunshine: "The freedom of the Pridelands; isn't it great? Just smell that fresh air," the cub Vitani smiles as she rolls over in the sunlight to warm her golden furred back. Together with her brother the two siblings are relaxing in the sunlight deep in the Pridelands. Nuka takes a whiff of the air; the air was indeed fresh but also smelt of the lush grass all around them. Of course the smell of the Pridelands was nothing compared to Nuka himself, he always avoided taking a bathe; his whiskers were loopy or bent and his posture was one of pure laziness. Their mother Zira is currently looking after her third cub named Kovu who has just barely begun to open his small green cub eyes, Kovu was born during the Great Migration and before Scar died he claimed Kovu to be the next the king, much to Nuka's disgust. This is why Nuka was so upset all the time, Kovu was barely even born and already Scar chosen him to be the next king. That's twice Nuka was cheated out of out being the king of the Pridelands, first Kopa was born and now Kovu. Nuka felt unloved, a dark burden he will carry for most of his life. But with their mother Zira raising her third cub or hunting with the other lionesses this left Vitani and Nuka to adventure across the Pridelands without consequence. _

_"You're always so serious about everything Nuka;" Vitani smile's reading her brother's facial expressions while playfully laying in the sunlight. Gazing at her brother while lying on her back, Vitani tilts her head backwards as to see the world upside down. It's only at this moment she notices Kopa in the distance heading towards them and she grins even more. Vitani suddenly rushes up to the prince and hops onto Kopa wrestling with him playfully while exchanging greetings with eachother. The prince and Vitani were always happy to see eachother as they roll and wrestle on the ground. Nuka, the oldest of the three cubs rolls his eyes at their childishness. Vitani grins in reply to her brother's reaction as she pins Kopa and rolls off over him onto the ground infront of Nuka making everyone laugh. Nuka and Kopa were friends, just not very close ones. Vitani and Kopa were the best of friends and this distracted Nuka from the hardships of not becoming the Lion King. So together they shared laughs and adventures. After greeting eachother for the new day and playing around for awhile Kopa, enthusiastic as always, plans an adventure for them._

_Far across the Pridelands, four lionesses prepare for a volunteering hunt for the heard of dawn gazelles. Among the small party of lionesses: Nala, Sarabi, Sarafina and finally Zira: Who was taking a break from raising Kovu. Sarabi in her old age was keeping a close eye on Zira; afterall she was the queen of Scar, and the dreadful acts what Scar committed upon the lionesses was unforgivable. However for now, the lionesses including Zira, were working together in this hunt. Crawling in a line each lioness behind the next they creep slowly against the ground. The gazelles were grazing quietly in the distance. The dawn sandy gazelles were known for their attuned attention to their surroundings, almost always looking over their shoulders, bending their heads in hope for a peaceful grazing. Almost blended into the wheat grass the four lionesses' get ready, eye's wide, claws drawn._

_Rushing faster and faster, Nuka and Vitani race eachother across the sunny mores of the Pridelands. Vitani taking little leaps into the air. As they run two swinging monkeys glide through the vines of the trees near the Zulu Waterfalls as Kopa, Vitani and Nuka run through the Pridelands, enjoying the new dawn. The monkeys named Jambo and Kwaheri are following them, as Vitani and Nuka rush on ahead, crossing the river on a bridge made of logs and old timber, Kopa accidentally trips over his forward paw's and into the ground, as the cub lands sand blasts up covering the cub in dirt. Grunting in shame Kopa shakes himself off, his tail had someone managed to find its way on top of his head. It's only then Kopa hears the giggling of the two swinging monkeys in the nearby thin vine trees. Gliding through the vines the monkeys Jambo and Kwaheri were pointing and laughing at the prince. The monkeys had being following Kopa for awhile now._

_"We know you want to impress Vitani," Kwaheri the deceitful monkey turns so he is hanging upside down in the tree looking down on the prince Kopa. "We know what could really impress her: Go the Zuberi River and scare the red elephants with an almighty roar; that would be sure to impress her!" Jambo explains with a snigger, Kopa brushes himself off of the dirt and runs off saying nothing more. But now the idea was in his head, Kopa will show those swinging monkeys his almighty roar, he will impress Vitani and one day he will become the Lion King. Vitani and Nuka had already run off ahead not knowing of Kopa's encounter with the mischievous monkeys. With little effort now Kopa joins them on the edge of the sallow part of the Zuberi River; right below to the fantastic Zulu Falls. The red elephants were bathing in the water here, right where Jambo and Kwaheri knew they would be. Gawping at the size of the waterfall above her Vitani decides to swim around some, using her paw to splash water on her best friend Kopa. Nuka hated the water, it made him think of taking a wash and so he growls severely before leisurely backing away into the grass leaving Kopa and Vitani alone by the water's edge. Kopa laughs and climbs up onto the highest rock nearest the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. Wasting no time he takes a deep breath; Kopa roars out like a true king. The red elephants suddenly turn in shock and panic; they race around and rush off, right into the path of Vitani. The elephants large stomps almost standing right on the cub as she dodges the larger elephants, water explodes everywhere in all directions and Kopa watches as the elephants scuttle away in a stampede. Vitani was no longer moving, her smile turned into a frown as she was collapsed in the swallow wavy water. It's only then Kopa realises his great error as the elephants clear the water and run off into the Pridelands at full speed. The ground shakes; the tiny pebbles and rocks bounce up and down uncontrollably. The dawn gazelles perceive this at first their ears pricking up suddenly as they being to bounce away in all directions, the four lionesses, Nala, Sarabi, Sarafina and Zira all look at the horizon._

_"It's a stampede!" Sarabi shouts as the red elephants approach in a dust cloud of sand with their stomping. Sprinting into action Nala and Sarafina rush towards the elephants in a bid to stop them, running alongside them, trying to calm them down, they were exceedingly spooked. But they were stopping for nothing, after charging after the large beasts Nala pulls back and look down at the path of destruction the stampede caused. Grass was trampled and a nest of termites were completely destroyed. Heading to find the source, Sarabi leads the others following the destruction back. Eventually to come to see Kopa lying next to Vitani in the water, Nala and Zira's faces instantly turn to one of disgust, both of them growling at their cubs and then at eachother._  
_"Your little brat ruined our hunt, that much is obvious," Zira snarls at the queen Nala._  
_"Kopa, you should know better than this, you broke our hunt, scared the elephants and almost harmed Vitani." Nala winces her eyes looking down in deep thought, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry mom; I just wanted to impress Vitani!" Kopa sulks; knowing he's committed a grave mistake. The lionesses stand together all arguing over what just happened,_

_"You left one of yours cub alone? What dreadful mother!" Sarabi taunts Zira during the arguments. Kopa looks up at the fighting lionesses in deep regret of his actions. Vitani awakes finally looking up innocently to see her mother guarding her away from the others. Nala walks up to Kopa giving her son a look of great disappointment before moving him away._  
_After vowing to never let the cubs see one another again, Nala and Zira walked in opposite directions taking their cubs with them._

_Nuka kicking the dirt with his paw was long gone from Zulu Fall's by now. Nuka decided to spend some time alone on a dusty old rock. The rejection of his father was something Nuka could not easily forget. Sighing the cub bounces his tail against the rock in anger. A young lioness suddenly runs infront of him chasing a savannah butterfly. The cubs name was Doti, using the less-common nickname of Dotty because of a distinctive row of dots under her right eye. The cub Doti runs right past, she turns shyly to see Nuka and backs away slightly._

_"What are you looking at?" Nuka says smugly, Doti's lazy eye twitches and she sadly looks down wondering what she did wrong. Nuka sighs deeply and gets up; he draws his claws and points on the horizon, "Let me show you how you really hunt something." Doti's face lights up as the two walk along the sunny Pridelands together little knowing of the drama back at Zulu Fall's._

_The day was quickly thinning; the Equinox sunset was almost upon the Pridelands for another year. The events what happened at Zulu Fall's were quick and painful, especially for Kopa, he was forbidden from seeing his best friend, but not because of own their actions, but because of the grievances of their parents and the events of the past which drove them into hate. Sulking in the lion's den in the darkest corner Kopa hides his face in his paw. Jambo and Kwaheri watched the whole scene, laughing and wailing they tease Kopa inside Priderock._

_"What a show we got tonight Jambo!" Kwaheri says to his monkey brother. Kopa sits, wrapping his tail around himself for comfort, ignoring the monkeys. However the swinging monkeys are quickly dispatched with a quick whack of a wooden staff. Jambo and Kwaheri quickly run away wailing loudly and clearly defeated. The wise one Rafiki seemed to have watched everything from afar as well. After dispensing of the devious monkey's with his staff Rafiki he walks up to Kopa, understanding completely what the young prince was trying to achieve. Rafiki Notices Kopa wants to have no fear and be like his father Simba. Kopa clearly thinks that not having any fear makes you a good king. Kopa just wanted to impress Vitani and everyone in the Pridelands. Rafiki parts some words of advice to the prince:_  
_"Brave animals know when to be afraid," Rafiki grips his shaman staff loosely while standing perfectly on a moss covered boulder next to the prince. Little did Rafiki know; it's that same line of advice he would tell a much older Vitani in many years to come... Kopa had enough of listening to others; he wanted to see his best friend. Rafiki was not going to stop the cub as Kopa gets up and suddenly rushes out of Priderock to find Vitani._

_Into the fleeting sun Kopa runs, never before feeling like he does now inside. Meeting once more in a secretive place, Vitani has had the same idea to meet with Kopa and the two cubs reunite in the Pridelands. Nuzzling eachother, neither one knew what this feeling was. It felt warm inside, like a thousand hugs. The two cubs run away together, trying to find a secret place, someplace where no parents or swinging monkeys could ever find them._

_"Here!" Vitani calls to Kopa as the two cub's dash forwards and discovers a cave covered in old tree branches and foliage. Clawing away at the undergrowth with their large claws, they drag's them out and away from the cave to reveal a hidden cave entrance. Vitani looks down into the cave, there is revealed a narrow passage winding down into a bottomless darkness; the two young cub's side-by-side march down into the darkness. Together they had no fear, eventually after marching through the pitch dark the sound of flowing water can be heard gushing at the bottom of the long tunnel. The cave opens up into a enormous cavern; On one side of the cavern's haphazard walls a large waterfall blasts water into a small lake, the source of the waterfall trails off into another dark section of the cave. On the far side of the cavern another tunnel leads off into an unknown location. In the roof of the cave are small holes where sunbeams of light shine through enlightening the whole cave-like room. Grey fresh rocks litter the cave, placed around the cavern. This was the perfect secret place. Together the two cubs explore the cave themselves, they stands by the water's edge looking down into their reflections. . There they sit by the waterfall, look into the water and see their reflections are merged together in the waters._

_"We are one" Kopa says smiling at their reflections. It's only later when fully exploring the cave, the two cubs find it. Someone had being here before, but not for an anciently long time. On the tallest wall of the cave they discover a carving. On the wall is a carving of names connected with strange lines, they go all the way to the bottom of the wall, and at the bottom of the carving Kopa and Vitani added their own names to the bottom of the carving under their parent's names and draw a line between their names using a rock or their own claws. Looking at all the names Kopa ponders a question:_

_"What happened to your father? Can you tell me about him?" Kopa lies down upon a high rock, resting his head on his crossed paws._  
_"Well, his name was Taka, well that was before he got a scar across his eye, then his name became Scar and he was the best king ever. That's what my mother told me." Vitani says,_  
_"What happened? Where is he now?" Kopa says curious about his best friend's past._  
_"He's dead."_  
_"Oh, I'm sorry..." Kopa quickly replies. Vitani just smile's, she didn't mind talking about this:_  
_"Some lion came and killed him. But if I ever knew who killed my father." Vitani clenches her paws, the story of Scar and Simba was greatly exaggerated on both sides as it was told. However the true story still remains a mystery and a fuzzy mess to the two cubs, for now, Vitani and Kopa neither knew the truth of their parents past. Kopa understanding his best friend's pain, Kopa would be devastated without a father. Kopa slowly gets up on the small rock he was perched on but suddenly the cub slips on the moss covered rock tumbling down he falls right onto Vitani and the two cubs lips meet in a accidental kiss. Both their eyes widen and Kopa quickly gets up off of his friend. Both blush deep red and then finally leave the cave for the first time, Kopa and Vitani head towards the West..._

_As the day fades away Kopa and Vitani secretly meet up on the hill top away from the cavern but they're not the only ones: Afua and Beba sit together not too far away and also Nuka and his new friend Doti to the other side of them. Together they all sit as the Equinox Sunset begins, the sun disappears before the horizon and the light display begins, yellow and red's dance across the sky the clouds burn deep orange across the whole of the Pridelands. Under the blazing colourful sky, Kopa and Vitani declare their love. The dazzling lights could not compare to how beautiful Kopa saw Vitani in that moment. Little did either of them know, it would be the last and only sunset they would spent together. The display lasted for several minutes, the sky was like anything seen before in the Pridelands and the light's seemed almost alive. The Equinox Sunset kept going until a thick blanket of night covers the sky and the stars came out in their hundreds. When it was time for them to part, Kopa almost came to say those fateful words before saying goodbye to Vitani; but somehow he wanted to wait. Kopa in the thick of night was walking home, alone, in the dark. Long hoots of quiet owls can occasionally be heard as the prince walks towards Priderock. Kopa is stopped by a figure on the horizon, a lion walking towards him, Kopa freezes as the lion gets closer. Then suddenly Kopa sees his own father Simba approaching him. Breathing a sigh a relief Simba quickly tells his son he was very worried. Father and son then begin to lie under the stars,_

_"Look at the stars, the great kings of the past look down on us from those stars." Simba says wisely passing down the wise words his own father Mufasa once told him. Kopa shakes his head as he is laid with his father Kopa asks for the truth:"Dad, what happened to king Scar?" Simba suddenly shakes from hearing Kopa's question, nobody has ever told his son the tale of king Scar, nobody dare speak of the dreadful acts that lion committed on so many others drunk on the power of being the Lion King..._  
_"Scar was, lost to darkness son, he let his hate and fear corrupt him, and in the end, I had to make sure he would never harm this land again, I did what had to be done," Kopa listens to every word, then he gets up, the young cubs leg's shaking, Kopa suddenly realises it was his own father who lead king Scar to his death,_

_"Y-you only told me that you stopped Scar. Not killed him!" Tears stream down the prince's face, Kopa suddenly realises the truth of his origins, "You lied to me! It was you who killed Vitani's father!" Kopa screams at his dad before shaking his head and running off into the darkened Savannah. Kopa ran so fast he couldn't hear his father's cries: "Kopa I can explain, please come back!" Simba's voice only seemed a mere echo as the prince Kopa ran so fast he didn't even notice he was running into a mysterious white fog, angry and upset at the past, Kopa suddenly finds he is alone. Looking around so cold and upset, Kopa fails to see a lioness in the fog with him. The lioness gazes at Kopa, a killing look in her eye; claws drawn; the fog would be the perfect ambush. It seemed Kopa's fate was already sealed—'_

Back at Priderock, the now adult Kopa is quickly interrupted from his tale by the blinding sunlight of sunrise. He was not nearly finished from his tale, but perhaps he can finish another time. The storm clouds had now fully parted in the sky, and the Pridelands were still moist and wet from the rain which fell previously. Kopa stands with Vitani, Simba and his loving mother Nala and no matter what happened in the past, this was his family, and for now, they were all safe. He'd only to remember that.

**End of Episode** **I****.**


	2. After the Storm

**Author: **Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author:** No more happy endings...

**Lion King 4  
********Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter: ****II ****– ****After the Storm.  
**  
As life returns to flourish in the Pridelands, the animals return to grazing the birds flock amongst the now blue sky which previous was an array of dark storm clouds. Beams of sunlight now illuminate Priderock; shadows of the monument are cast across the ground. After the events of the past days, everyone decides to go their separate ways. Small circles of wind carrying pink petals fly amongst the distant clouds, once again echo a message across the savannah. The sun starts to rise in the faraway distance turning the sky a faint rose purple. Through the night and into the morning light, the message floats across the wind in the form of pink petals and dust, bringing the news: The sought successor as the rightful heir to the throne has return. One prince who was lost long ago has cheated death itself and as the deadly warning given to Timon and Pumbaa prophesies: Now the equilibrium of this world will be broken.

Kiara and Sarafina were still in one of the many caves of the Pridelands when the news came to them. Still resting here because of the trap which was set and they fell in. A once warm fire now remains a ash heap on top of small cindered logs at the centre of the cave, Sarafina smiles as she awakes, looking healthier for the long relaxed sleep she took throughout the storm. After deciding she'll be just fine on her own. The storm stopped and calmed, the rain stopped falling and the thunder ceased to strike the Pridelands: Kiara also recovered from her ordeal in the pit trap and after hearing the news, the sought successor had returned? Kiara wondered just what was happening, rising up off the ground and stretching her legs, Kiara's fur was no longer covered in the wet mud of the pit trap, and this was because of a quick wash from her grandmother Sarafina just moments before. Kiara slowly heads out into the sunrise her golden fur shining in the sun, towards Priderock, oblivious to her true past. By the time Kiara reaches to vicinity of Priderock's splendour, Kopa was already gone, minding his own business in the Pridelands like he once did. So instead Kiara is met with her loving parents, who head inside the lion's den to speak with her in private. As Simba and Nala talk to their daughter she is in disbelief, Kiara was never told she had a brother, as was the pact made long ago, to cover up the past in hope that future generations not fall into plans of revenge and get hurt. But this pact was recently broken. And right now, Kiara was the only one in the Pridelands who didn't know who Kopa was. She was upset more than anything, Simba, Nala, Rafiki and many others in the Pridelands had decided to never to speak of Kopa, everyone feared that when Kiara was born she might fall into the same fate Kopa did that night in the fog. This explains everything Kiara was told by Rafiki in his treehouse days ago:  
"Vitani has lived here before; the Pridelands were her home era's before you was even born Kiara; she was someday banished and exiled from her home out into the outlands along with all her family, forced from her home as only a cub. All because of her mother's terrible actions, it's understandable she was one of the earliest wanting to return home against Zira; the cub you saw in the sketch I made was the one she loved throughout her time here in the Pridelands." The cub in the sketch painted on Rafiki's tree wall was really her own brother. Kiara realises why Simba was so overprotective of her when she was younger, he places path through the Pridelands for her, always got Timon and Pumbaa to watch over her like hawks, all that protection was because Simba had already lost a son. All was becoming clear for the princess, and now the pact to protect future generations was broken, nothing was stopping Kiara from seeing her brother Kopa right here in the Pridelands. But just before Kiara rushes off to meet the brother she never met, the princess Kiara explains her concerns once more:  
"This doesn't explain the fire which burned the Pridelands," Kiara winces in the lion's den. Everyone knows Kopa wouldn't do something like that to his own home, he wouldn't set the Pridelands ablaze, the same fire which almost killed Kiara herself and as Malka explained, he did not start the fire. Whoever really started that fire still remains a distant mystery.  
Kiara bids her parents farewell and heads into the Pridelands to find her brother Kopa. As Simba and Nala remain in the lion's den of Priderock they too now speak in private.  
"A deadly warning given to us all, followed by a fire in the Pridelands, a trap which was set to trap the lionesses, a pool of venom, and Kopa returning home...what does all this mean?" Simba looks up at his wife Nala who quickly comforts her king. So many unanswered questions for them. This may only be the beginning.

In the aftermath of the storm, Ni has slipped away during all the drama and only Nala had noticed his sudden disappearance. The fact that Nala and Ni met again could have been a stroke of fate. But now Ni's part in the Pridelands is complete. But as regimented by Simba, Ni is not allowed to remain in the Pridelands. And it's all because Ni, is a Knight. The fabled but mysterious Knight's which should never be spoken about. Simba long ago declared the Knight's should never interfere in the Pridelands and this is the solitary reason Ni vanished. Looking out at the Pridelands as the light shines upon her shared land Nala remembers when she was a cub, Ni saved her life from a ravenous hyena and they've being best friend from that day onwards. Perhaps one day Nala might be able to return Ni's kindness. Besides she need to get back at him for calling her flaky.

Kovu remains in the cold westerly shadow of Priderock. Laid on the soft lush grass there Kovu just didn't feel right, he attacked Kopa and it was unlike him. Something took over Kovu and now the dark lion shakes in fear, looking regretfully at his claws, the same claws used to scratch a large scar across Kopa's right eye. Kovu felt no better than his mother Zira now. The lion's thought are interrupted by the approach of his sister. Leaving Kopa's side for awhile, she is angry at how her brother acted towards her love. But if Vitani had learned anything from the days past events, it is forgiveness. Vitani walks up to Kovu with a smile,  
"There's a carving I need to show you brother," without saying much more Vitani guides her younger brother towards the cave entrance of the cavern. The cavern which served for her secret adventures with Kopa, Nuka and Afua when they were just cubs. Vitani has been waiting for so long to show her brother the carving on the wall, long before she fell down the Zulu waterfall's, and now she finally can. Kovu follows his sister down the dark passage and into the cave-like room for the first time. Without further delay she guides her brother to the list of names on the tallest wall of the cavern. Squinting at all the names Kovu see the carving was clearly carved into the wall in ancient times years before any of them were even born, Vitani finally explains what the carving on the cavern wall is:  
"It's a family tree." With all the names of all the past and present lions and lionesses connected with carved lines and ordered from top to bottom in the order of their generation linking down with the lines connecting everyone; after each new cub is born a new line of names is added all the way down to where Vitani's name remains right next to Kopa's, which they carved into the wall themselves when they were cubs. Kovu looks at all the names of the Family Tree: Mohatu, Ahadi, Ni, Sarabi and many more names which he has never seen before. Deciding to lower his head down to find his own name Kovu suddenly steps back in shock, the dark lion's leg's shake in fear once more, for next to his mother's name of Zira is the name of his real father. After so long of searching for his real father, his name was written right here in the cave all along. Kovu smiles, he stands straight and he closes his green eyes. His legs stop shaking and slowly Kovu speaks his real father's name for the first time: "Kivuli". It seemed so right, Scar only adopted Kovu as his son, and for so long nobody had known who the real father was. It seemed Zira was with another lion, Kivuli. Kovu suddenly regrets his actions for the past few days, he was lied to and attacked, but that doesn't explain the dark feelings he got inside him.  
"I knew Malka wasn't to be Trusted, but yet I fell right into his trap," Kovu finally says, still upset no one trusted him yet. Kovu feelings rush through him, he decides in that moment he needs to understand the darkness more. The darkness which he was told about so much, the dark feelings of hate and anger which consumed his adopted father Scar until it destroyed him. But then Kovu was told a different tale from Sarafina, of the day's when Scar was actually named Taka. And Kovu saw another side to his adopted father, monsters are made, not born; the darkness grows inside them until it cannot be stopped. Kovu gives a look a determination, and finally thanks his sister for finally showing him the truth.

Just like his father before him, Kopa had many days spent solely with the both Timon and Pumbaa. Of course Timon was at home in the Oasis at the time Kopa disappeared as a cub the merecat remembers the day Pumbaa told him the news of that dreadful act in the Pridelands. But now Timon and Pumbaa are overjoyed that their young cub friend Kopa has returned. The two comedians want to see their friend again, however while searching for the returned prince, Kopa rushes past his old friends, running by without saying a word, a look of worry of Kopa's face. Timon and Pumbaa see that Kopa is heading for the Outlands, they instantly realises there is something wrong, but they are too slow to follow the lightning fast prince and instead rush to tell the king.

The confused Kopa looks back at his old home, Priderock standing proudly in the distance in the heart of the Pridelands and then Kopa stares at his reflection in the water. Squinting sadly it's only then that he realises he didn't even have the time to talk to Kiara, his own sister, but Kopa continues out of the Pridelands and into the dusty mist and haze which always covers the dead Outlands. Kopa didn't want to return, dashing deeper and deeper in the Outland, farther than ever gone before, running away to the farthest point of the Outland. Kopa waits and sits on a broken old circular log, looking around nervously he waits where he was told too. Kopa knew exactly where to find him; they've met here before many times. Slowly a hissing could be heard in the ominously quiet Outland, slivering around on the ground a purple snake with red stripes slivers up the prince. The snake hisses slightly and points upright infront of the prince its long curling tail curled behind it. The snake's red eyes look deep at Kopa and it seems the snake knows this prince; it seems even Kopa answers to someone. The mysterious wise snake is gifted with second sight; in a slimy piercing voice it parts a prophecy with the obfuscated prince:  
"It doesn't have to be this way. You can still achieve glory; you will be your father's successor. One who has been touched by the Great Spirit herself shall return. And Kopa, while you find a way to change your inevitable fate, know this: The darkness has rooted itself inside the Pridelands once more, and this time: four of you die because of it."

**End of Episode** **II****.**


	3. Mheetu and the Dark King

Author: Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author: **Sorry for the long wait. My PC refused to switch on. These chapters are getting darker... Younger readers beware.

**Lion King 4**  
**********Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter: III –Mheetu and the Dark King.**

Kovu and Vitani realize that they are infact Step-Brother and Step-Sister because they had different birth fathers. But their bond remains so close they chose to remain as just brother and sister. As they remain in the cavern together, talking about the past; this is one of rare moments alone they have had to talk since the start of battle with their mother Zira. Lounging around they finally confess in eachother everything they've being upset about lately. It helps to talk about their problems together; Kovu is worried about the misunderstood darkness growing inside of him, Vitani was worried about her brother, she nuzzles him kindly, their the only two left in their whole family and from now on they are going to stick together.

The Pridelands were in chaos from the events of the previous storm. Parts of the Pridelands were completely flooded and Simba the Lion King was too busy with the drama of Kopa returning he could not mend his land. But now Simba and Zazu are rushing around the Pridelands attending to duties, a whole nest of mole rats was flooded; a lone wandering cheetah had fallen into one of the many traps recently placed around the Pridelands. At first it seemed like a mammoth task for any King, but Simba had the newly found hope that Kopa was alive, and that drove him to actually keep a smile on his face. The nightmares Simba used to have of his father Mufasa, of losing his son Kopa, he no longer had those foreshadowing nightmares of the past. However what the Lion King did not know is that his mate Nala was more worried than she has ever been. She herself over time has being facing many of her own worries: With the events with Vitani falling down the enormous Zulu Fall's, with seeing Ni once more, and most of all getting the news that Tama was still alive. As Nala rests inside the lion's den she closes her dazzling blue eye's just for a moment and quickly finds herself drifting off into dreams—

_'—The heavy rain still fell from the dark clouds when Scar entered the cave. Scar happy to see his previous mate Sarafina laying a bed of carefully placed wheat grass, Sarafina had obviously moved on and found a new mate to have cubs with, but Scar just grinned his teeth when seeing the newborn cub._  
_"Congratulations, Sarafina" he said almost sarcastically. "What shall you call him?" Sarafina looks up at Scar, and names her cub: Mheetu. Nala had little brother._

_Mheetu as youthful as he was had many adventures with his big sister Nala, Simba and during the adventure of eight; he remembers clearly the day Tama was swept away in the Daggermouth Gorge. That was to be Mheetu's last adventure away from Priderock. For one fateful day there was a stampede, both Mufasa and Simba were claimed to be lost to the animals which raged in the gorge that day. Scar claimed himself to be the next king; his dark acts around the Pridelands quickly gave him the title of the Dark King. He fell in love with Zira during these same dark days and one time, while Sarafina was with her newest cub Mheetu in an isolated cave. There was a tense silence as Scar approached his previous mate Sarafina with a tedious frown on his face. Something wasn't right. Scar roars angrily at the terrified mother drawing his claws as he looms over his previous mate Sarafina._

_"Please, Scar, let me explain..." Sarafina whines,_  
_"You all disobeyed me! I ordered you to kill the newborn child!" Scar says angrily not wanting anyone to challenge him to the throne. Scar was going to execute all the male cubs; this was just one of his dark deeds in kingship._  
_"Please," moaned Sarafina, "let my little Mheetu live."_  
_Without listening, Scar seizes the terrified cub. Scar was going to kill him in that moment, Mheetu was a shade threads away from death until a young female cub made its way over and threw herself on Mheetu. Scar was surprised recognizing the little Nala._  
_"Let my little brother live! He was born early, even as an adult he won't be strong enough to challenge you." Nala growls up at the dark king Scar. And in his only act of kindness, Scar lets the little newborn cub live, for now. Scar warns the little Nala that she can't protect her brother forever... Nala protected her little brother Mheetu as she always had from all threats. Nala mothered him almost all on her own, the dark king Scar was forcing the lionesses to constantly hunt for the dwindling food around Priderock and Sarafina even in childbirth was not given time to raise Mheetu. Nala had to look after Mheetu. She must protect him from both the dark king Scar and the many Hyenas' that Scar let into the boarder of the Pridelands; they were always prowling around the now fading Pridelands, the once green Pridelands now slowly falling into chaos and darkness. It was dangerous to go out alone. Nala had already lost Tama in the Daggermouth Gorge, she'd already lost Simba during the Stampede, but Nala was not going to lose Mheetu as well._

_The year's past slowly, they were some good days, they were some bad days, they were fights and battles, some days there was no one at all, the Pridelands were silent and dull. It was one of these silent days that Nala was free to meet with her two best friends, Kula and Chumvi. "I must become stronger, maybe one day I'll be strong enough to do something about Scar" Chumvi says bravely to everyone. Nala doesn't listen, instead she utilises her claws to etch her friends name into the ground. Kula was looking for a snack; she always had food on the brain. Looking for bugs to eat, she licked her lips just thinking about it. Mheetu, who was still small for his age was playing with Chumvi, they were trying to jump off the highest rocks and Chumvi was daring Mheetu to jump off the biggest rocks, Nala was too miserable to do anything, she sighed after she finished digging her friend's name into the ground with her claws with a glum face Mheetu realised his big sisters sadness and rushes up to her. Mheetu giggles and jumps on his sister tugging her ear playfully; Nala couldn't resist and joins in the game with her brother, always bringing a smile to her face. Suddenly there's a powerful lioness roar emanating from Priderock, Chumvi's ears prick up as he hears it,_

_"You know what that roar means, there's an emergency!" Chumvi says rushing back home to Priderock, Kula sighs and follows,  
"Can't we have a snack before we go?" She sighs following Chumvi intently. But Nala play fighting with her brother Mheetu did not hear the roar. Instead she remained alone in the Pridelands, when the air turned cold. Both her and Mheetu stopped dead when realises they were alone. A low growling is heard from the other side of the grass, Nala immediately takes cover, protecting her brother hind her they dive behind a medium sized rock, the growling gets louder as a lone hyena suddenly sniffs the hiding siblings. The hyena was hungry; it had eaten in so long, the hyena thinking to itself suddenly exploded into fits of laugher, Nala protects Mheetu growling showing all her teeth and standing as tall as she could, but the hyena ignores Nala's threats and dives towards her, in shock Nala's flattens her ears, closes her eyes and fears for the worse. Suddenly a loud roar erupts and scuffling could be heard, Nala opens her eyes and glances around to see the Hyena was gone, fleeing in terror as a male lion had just suddenly fought off the hungry beast. Nala in shock looks at this rouge lion, his fur was scruffy and he was covered in dirt. Nala had not seen this lion before, he was an outsider, but he had just saved Nala's life from that hyena. Nala slowly approaches the dirty, scruffy lion, but it is the outsider who initiates conversation with Nala and Mheetu:_  
_"What are you doing out here alone, it's dangerous around here for cubs, especially young flaky ones," Nala winces and protests, she wasn't flaky, Mheetu laughs at the outsiders comment about his big sister, Nala dismisses the comment she shakes her head and sits down, _

_"Who are you anyway?"_  
_"I'm Ni, I had to leave my pride like all the younger male's have to do. But I couldn't just stand and watch you get hurt by that Hyena." Ni introduces himself kindly. Ni was defiantly small for his age, smaller than most, it seems Mheetu was not the only cub to of been born prematurely. Nala failed to realise that the emergency was caused by Ni, he was an outsider and they were not easily welcomed into the Pridelands. However when Nala's mother Sarafina returned to Priderock from her fifth hunt of the day, she kindly introduced Ni to the rest of the Pride. Nala had reason to smile from Ni's visit; she was one day going to get back to him for calling her flaky. Her mother Sarafina seemed strangely friendly to Ni, but in this time the Pridelands could do with more friendliness. Sarafina and Ni stand together on a terrace of Priderock overlooking the warm Pridelands one evening. Sarafina thanks for the outsider for saving her daughter,_

_"I should really be going," Ni says regretfully sighing. Of course Scar was oblivious to Ni appearing in the Pridelands but if the dark king figured out there was another male lion in the Pridelands Ni would be exiled forever or worse he would be attacked. Bidding Sarafina farewell Ni left without another word. He was most mysterious but he never told Nala he was leaving. Little did they know they would meet once again during the drama of Kopa's return..._

_As time passed Nala's smile was wiped away once more. One day the Pridelands was wiped of greenery completely, Sarabi, Sarafina and the other lionesses had no food left, and everyone including the many hyenas were gathered at Priderock. Nala always sticking by her younger brother's side. It was because of Mheetu everyone was gathered. It was a dark day at Priderock, everyone was hugging Mheetu and he was clueless as to why. Until Nala herself hugs her brother a few tears stream down her face..._

_"I don't understand where am I going?" Mheetu was told he was going away, for a very long time._  
_"Oh Mheetu, my lovely brave Mheetu; this is goodbye..." Nala didn't want to let Mheetu go, but she was dragged away by Zira when Mheetu was lead up Priderock by Scar. The lionesses were kept in place the hyenas in rage, each one angry and upset. Nala run to cuddle with her mother Sarafina. On the highest cave of Priderock, Mheetu stood scared as Scar evilly clawed a large boulder as to sharpen them a loud high-pitched squeaking echo's through the cave as Scar drags his claws down the rock. Scar then pounces on Mheetu and slowly took him apart. In these moments Mheetu's teary eyes squint on the horizon, for the little cub see's a faded ghost on the horizon, a spirit of a black fox, the spirit ghost was staring right at Mheetu, watching him—'_

The adult Nala suddenly awakes from her terrible nightmare in the lion's den. Gasping for air she shakes and looks around quickly. Her terrible nightmare's reflecting the awful truth, Mheetu was gone. Even though Simba's nightmare's had ended, Nala's have only just begun... **  
**  
**End of Episode** **III****.**


	4. The Precursor of Death

Author: Daggermouth

**Lion King 4**  
**********Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter****:**** IV**** – ****Journeys & The Precursor of Death**

Dashing through the Pridelands, the small hoofs of the warthog Pumbaa and his best friend Timon as they go to alert the king that Kopa was gone, the prince who just returned has run to the Outlands, running quickly without giving any detail as to what's around them the figure of a golden lioness crashes straight into the two friends. They slide across the floor in the dirt. When he finally gets up Timon looks to see Kiara, in their hastiness of trying to find the same lion, all three of them collided in the middle of the damp Pridelands. As Kiara brushes herself down, it becomes obvious they were following the same tracks; all three of them were looking for Kopa.

"Kopa's gone Kiara, he ran off into the Outlands," Pumbaa explains solemnly in his distinctive voice, Kiara thinks to herself, what was so important for Kopa to just suddenly run off, Kiara has never met her brother, and now he disappeared... again.  
"Follow me," Kiara says as she knows exactly where to find her father in the Pridelands.

From her nightmare, Nala stretches out; the sunset was almost upon the Pridelands, another eventful day almost ended. Although even the coming sunset could not take Nala's mind of her nightmare; mainly the spirit of the black fox, it seemed so real to her, Nala felt it the black fox wasn't looking at her, but right at her. Just thinking about it sent shivers down Nala's back, her fur almost standing up on their ends. As the queen was about to head down onto the grass she is suddenly petrified witless as Kovu appears behind her. Nala is jumping at everything now, even her own shadow. But Kovu just smiles and wonders why the queen is like this. But it seems Kovu has already departed from the cavern with his sister. After Nala calms herself down it seems Kovu has too reasons for talking to the queen, Kovu immediately apologizes for attacking Kopa like he did, both of them still bear the scars of tumbling down Priderock, both of them were also lucky to have avoided serious injury. Then as Nala and Kovu lay together on the largest pointy ledge of Priderock overlooking the entire Pridelands, Kovu explains the real reason he is here:

"I need to leave Priderock; I need to find my real father, they're so many questions I need answering, so much I don't yet understand, "Kovu wanted to tell someone that he is leaving just so they know where he is going. Nala assures Kovu that she will inform the rest of the Pride that he is gone, even Kiara. But what Nala says next changed Kovu's life forever...  
"I never met my real father either," Nala says with kind eyes, "I stopped looking a long time ago, but now I just don't want to know for fearing he could already be gone, I've just had to accept that fact." As she finishes Kovu is amazed at how strong-willed Nala really is. How much loss the queen must of suffered but yet she explains loss without regret or much worry. But little did Kovu know Nala was very troubled inside, she'd just decided to hide it for so long. After their understanding on Priderock Nala and Kovu separate; and Kovu begins his first step on a grand journey to find his real father. And this time, he was not going to return until he finds his father, dead or alive, at least now Kovu knows his father's name: Kivuli. Kovu keeps repeating the name in his head, if Nala can be so strong then maybe Kovu one day can be as well. As they part Nala heads off to then go find Vitani. Nala wants to finally apologize for the regretful things she yellow at Vitani back at Zulu Fall's. As the queen starts walking she realises she wants to apologize for something more as well, Nala didn't realise it but she acted like such a terrible lioness way back when Vitani was a cub. Nala wouldn't let her own son Kopa see Vitani all those years ago in the first years Simba was the Lion King, and until now Nala didn't realise how cruel she was really being. It seemed so long ago now but Nala heads out to find the closure her pure heart so desperately needs.

Finally after what seemed like hours of travelling, Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa find Simba dealing with an angry emu whose nest was destroyed during the storm. Simba orders Zazu to find some friends to help rebuild the flooded nest, the emu's eggs were safe but they needed a nest to survive. Simba turns to see his friends, it pained Simba to deal with another problem but it had to be done.

"Kopa has run off to the Outlands," Timon waves his tiny arms and paces up and down knowing this news would just make Simba panic. Simba gasps when he hears the news, and immediately sets off with his daughter to find tracks. The Outlands were a big place and Kopa could be anywhere inside it.

"Perhaps returning home so quickly was just too much for the prince to bear." Zazu explains before flying off to get some more birds to help him reconstruct the emu's large destroyed nest. Bidding Timon and Pumbaa farewell for now, Kiara joins her father in the search. But just why Kopa has disappeared remains a mystery, what could possibly be more important than meeting his sister and reuniting with his family? Kiara and Simba run off into the sunset as the sun starts to descend in the sky.

Nala is very glad to see Vitani once more, and as the two lionesses approach eachother, it seems they've already become great friends. The guilt Nala felt when she yelled at the younger lioness seemed to have now completely vanished. The two old enemies talk, Nala apologises for everything, it seems Vitani wasn't as bad as she was made out to believe.

"Does this make me a princess again?" Vitani asks hopeful, as a cub when she and Kopa declared their love on the Family Tree and under the Equinox Sunset, Vitani would have been the next queen after Nala passed. But complications with Kiara and Kovu being the next in line lead Vitani to believe she would never be queen, this is why she was so disheartened when Kovu was crowned the new prince during his grand ceremony. Nala nods and smiles, Kopa was born first meaning whoever he picks to be his princess will become the next queen. Vitani grins and is thrilled; she can become the queen she always dreamed to be as a cub. On the note of Princesses, Nala sits with Vitani and decides to tell her about a princess of the past named Uru.

"_The stories are passed down to everyone through the generations, everyone in the Pridelands know the tale, however each time the __story is pasted the tale changes, and becomes more faded. Through all of the past generations it is said that Uru, the mother of Mufasa, got a black stone carved into the silhouette of a scarab. Ahadi's personal watering hole was poisoned and the king had passed away just days before Uru received a Black Scarab. Again, no one truly knows who killed Ahadi but after his death Uru fell into a spiral of depression. She gave up on herself and later passed away. Now Mohatu, the first Lion King, his mate was called Ufu; and it's said Ufu carved into black stone the symbol of a Scarab before she herself died giving birth to Ahadi. The past queen's and princesses have taught us that the Black Scarabs were a sign that death was on its way for whoever received one, the Black Scarab would present itself to anyone who is about to pass over...they are our warning to prepare ourselves, it is said that Ufu's ghost still walk the Pridelands and place Black Scarabs for the creatures of the Pridelands to find to forewarn them of them inevitable fate..._"  
Vitani listen intently but the story seemed too implausible to be true. After telling her story Nala says that it's mainly just a story to scare the cubs and that until her nightmare she also believed there's no such thing a ghosts or spirits. Vitani gives thanks Nala for the tale and for apologizing for everything. It's only then so suddenly that news reaches the two lionesses that Kopa has run away to the Outlands. Zazu on his way to find more birds to help the emu kindly stopped off to inform the two lionesses that prince Kopa was gone. Vitani shocked more than anything, decides to follow him, she know's Kopa more than anyone in the Pridelands, so if someone can find him, it's her. Heading out towards the south, towards the Outland Vitani rushes to find her love, she doesn't want to lose him again. Especially after the tale Nala just told her. Uru was lost to a spiral of depression after Ahadi was poisenoned; to Vitani that sounded so familiar, Vitani gave up on herself too when Kopa disappeared as a cub, she was going to make sure after she finds him they never part sides ever again.

As everyone runs off to partake in their own business this leaves Nala alone to watch the burning sunset. Everyone was out looking for the past they lost. But as Nala watches the sunset alone, a slippery figure slowly creeps up behind her. Slivering across the ground a purple snake with red stripes approaches her. Its slivering hissing voice beckons Nala. As Nala turns to the creature the snakes blood red eyes meet with her crystal blue eyes. As they do Nala seems to grow cold and weak, as if she's being captivated in the snake's strange eyes. As the snake grins it decides to part the information it knows with the queen:

"Your dreams are real Nala, everything you dreamt, the darkest nightmares of your past, all of it really happened. Nala, you have been lost so much longer than everyone but yet you hide within yourself. This is the same way Taka kept his melancholy hidden away until the darkness slivered inside him and he became the Dark Lion King Scar. But you must know; your brother Mheetu is still with the living." Listen intently Nala suddenly squints, for a second she believes she misheard the snake and in her thoughts she growls and grabs the snake's neck with both paws and demands for more answers, her brother can't possibly be alive, she saw it herself in her nightmare, Mheetu was gone. The mysterious snake with its red stripes across its slivery body was gifted with the knowledge of second sight and slivers out of Nala's tight grip and twists back into the tall grass, but just before heading into the grass to disappear the snake coyly turns it head back to the lioness queen with a smile and continues:

"Scar failed to deliver the final blow to your brother. Mheetu escaped and ran away. But Scar in all his pride couldn't bring himself to tell everyone that Mheetu escaped he couldn't accept his weakness that he didn't bring himself to finish the cub. Scar told you he killed Mheetu, but this is his darkest secret: he lied about that to all of you. Mheetu ran so very far away, this much I have seen myself, he fell in love with a grey lioness named Solta in the perpetual forest that time forgot." The snake's sharp voice drove Nala into more fear than she's ever experienced before, under the dazzling sunset the snake slivers away saying no more. And so suddenly the fear and hurt Nala kept inside of her for so long bursts out into forms of salty tears, curling herself up into a ball covering her face with her paws Nala parts pain under the great blood red sun. As the snake slides away his voice still echoes around the tearful Nala, telling the queen over and over again that Mheetu was last seen in the bone chilling Elephant Graveyard, Nala tells no one of her encounter and after parting her sorrow she gets up and immediately runs to the Elephant Graveyard to find her lost brother leaving a trail of saline tears behind her.

As the sky burns brightly red four journeys to find the past which was lost have begun: Kovu who heads outwards to search for his real father Kivuli so he can further understand the darkness which he believes to be corrupting his thoughts. Kiara and Simba both separated from Vitani all search for Kopa to reunite with her lost love Kopa in the Outlands, Vitani can return Kopa to his sister and get answers as to why he ran away. Nala who so quickly learned that Mheetu may still be found from a snake which decided to help her grieve, the queen rushes to the Elephant Graveyard in hopes of finding her lost little brother. And finally Malka who was given information about Tama's location from Kopa, Tama was said to of survived the Daggermouth Gorge incident. All four journeys are in search for the past. But soon the entire Pridelands will shake and shiver as the past they anticipate to find could mean the destruction of a great balance the king's and queen's of the past worked so hard to maintain.

**End of Episode** **IV****.**


	5. The Life of Chumvi & Kula

**Author:** Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author: **A nice very short chapter to introduce four Lion King canon characters.

**Lion King 4**  
**********Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter****: ****V**** – ****A Day in the Life of Chumvi & Kula.**

As nightmares and tales of the past present themselves to inhabitants of Priderock, two old friends of queen Nala are having their own chronicles chaptered to the faraway northern borders of the Pridelands. So very far away even the monument of Priderock cannot be seen, Chumvi and Kula left Priderock together just a few years prior to when Scar was dethroned. The adolescent lions had have so many adventures with Nala, but as the three of them grew up together it seemed Nala was dedicated more to hunting in faraway lands and their adventures together came a close. Being the same age as Nala, Chumvi and Kula migrated to the far north, Chumvi once dared himself to travel to the very edge of the Pridelands, and when leaving Priderock along with Afua, Kula and Beba achieved just that. At the far north of the Pridelands are mountains taller than ever imagined, the land itself was different, filled with lush jungles but without as much rainfall or water, the tree's hung downwards and their long leaves almost touched the ground and the creatures here always seemed to be making chirping noises. Chumvi and Kula were settled in the side of the northern mountain which was just above the canopy of trees, there was a fairly steep path leading up the cave, Chumvi believed that a forest wild bear must have once lived here a long time ago. And it's this same cave where Chumvi and Kula awake each morning to the warm forest which never sleeps. And this is how Kula came to came to call the northern land. She named it the Dry Forest. Afua and Beba settled just the south in the heart of the forest there is a small opening in the large forest in which the stars could be seen, Afua and Beba made their home here, both of them enjoying sleeping under the stars. So far away from Priderock, nothing ever really bothered them here, Chumvi and Kula were free to fall in love without any hassle and they quickly become mates. But it seemed the happy days along with Afua and Beba the four of them will have their own account of tragedy...

"Beba, I can't see!" Afua stirs in the heart of the forest awakening from his deep sleep, the entire forest was covered in a strange mist, unlike the normal morning haze which covers the forest, this mist was more severe, Afua couldn't see anything, not even his leopard mate Baba as he steps forward and falls over the still happily sleeping leopard. Beba opens one eye and slowly awakes out of her sleep in her own time; she was very laid back like this, even in emergencies. The Dry Forest was completely covered in white mist, making it difficult to see, the forest was still as noisy as ever and Beba realises they can use the forest livestock to their advantage. In all Beba's running and hunting skills, not only could she run fast but her hearing was more attuned as well, following the sound the leopard guides her mate to higher ground, towards Chumvi and Kula's home. Along the way the two of them realise the mist is wreaking havoc of the wildlife here, the once dry and warm forest has become a moist wetland, perhaps this was just a part of the extreme climate here, or perhaps not, when Beba and Afua get their friend's home they climb up along the steep path, up above the canopy of trees to see the full extent of the problem. Standing together both of them were shocked, the mist continued on for what looked like forever, the world itself below them seemed to disappear into the white mist, as if the clouds themselves has fallen from the stars, the sky was a stony grey around the Dry Forest and the sun was blanked out of the sky. The air was cold, very cold; Beba found herself shivering in the cold, after gawping at the site of their home covered in this most mysterious mist both Afua and Beba head inside the home of Chumvi and Kula to converse their plan of action.

"Well the obvious easy solution to this is to just leave." Chumvi grunts in his solid cave, the older Chumvi with his small dark mane is still as obstinate and as daring as ever. Everyone is talking over eachother discussing the problem:  
"We can't just leave the forest like this, this is our home now, and this mist is destroying the delicate life here,"  
"Maybe the mist will pass in a few days," Afua suggests, his paws always facing outwards, the older Afua was rather clumsy for his age. So the four friends waited together, as the days past, the mist showed no signs of vanishing, this worried Kula the most mainly because she could no longer hunt for food in the Dry Forest. After three moons have passed the four friends can no long wait, and decide to take action. Their adventure begins as Chumvi leads the group back down into the woodland. As they march down into the forest a sudden gust of cold merciless air brushes around them, their breathe can be seen coming from their mouths as the cold mist envelops them.

"Stay together," Kula says stridently; Kula has the largest coat of fur but even she was shivering slightly. Sticking together and four friends advance slowly through their home, the mist had ruined most of the plants here; the once dry plants were not drowned in the shallow moist and wet undergrowth. After searching for what seemed like hours the group were starting to lose hope. Afua was now leading the group as Chumvi and Kula were huddled together for warmth and protection, but as the adult lion steps forward he suddenly falls through the forest floor, the ground collapses under him much to the shock of his friends who immediately rush over. In the heart of the Dry Forest there is a small cave complete covered by overgrowing undergrowth and vines, Afua in his clumsiness had just inadvertently discovered the entrance. After falling a small height Afua was covered in vines and old dying tree roots he was struggling to break himself free, Beba was slow to the rescue cutting the excessively panicked Afua free. The cave entrance was small and slowly descended downwards below ground; the mist seemed less powerful underground. The group of four keep heading down inside, the cave eventually came to an end a large stone wall blocks them from proceeding. After realises they can go no further together they head back to the cave. Back through the forest after a short journey home the four have returned back due to the cold and general stuffiness of the mist below. They all conclude that the mist was coming from underground, perhaps from a series of tunnels that run underneath the Dry Forest. Whatever was down there was producing this mist and the mist was rising up into the Dry Forest through the ground and making the entire forest cold and genially miserable. It seems the problem could not be solved from here. Chumvi and Kula have no over choice than to leave the Dry Forest and go for help. Kula nuzzles the younger Afua bidding him farewell.

"If we don't return within six moons come to Priderock and no matter what happens: Make sure you stay together..."  
Chumvi says in the entrance of the cave nodding his friend's farewell before dashing off with his mate Kula. It is a sad sight indeed seeing your once beautiful home slowly being destroyed, but it seems not even Chumvi and Kula can escape this disaster; together they travel south through the dazzling sunset, towards the heart of the Pridelands, towards Priderock.

The unexpected events of the generally peaceful Dry Forest seemed minuscule to the events at Priderock. So much was happening in such a small amount of time. But Priderock was strangely deserted. With Kopa, Vitani, Nala and Kovu all gone on journey's to find their pasts, this left Simba and his daughter Kiara to greet the guests. Chumvi and Kula after a long journey through the Pridelands now walk up onto Priderock itself approaching the Lion King Simba. Simba was very pleased to see his old friends once more. But Chumvi and Kula are interested to hear they are not the only ones to of returned to Priderock. Simba informs his friends of everything what has happened: Kopa has returned only to run off once more to the Outlands. Chumvi and Kula were both there when Kopa was presented as a baby cub to all the Pridelands after the Great Migration and they are both fascinated to hear about what finally happened with Zira and Kopa. All the talk of the past suddenly makes Chumvi worries about Afua and Beba back home that might still be waiting in the frozen forest…

"They'll be fine, trust me, they know what do to, they're not cubs anymore. But our home, the Dry Forest is gone..." Kula smiles warmly at her mate trying to reassure him and together they nuzzle. Chumvi sighs before agreeing to remain at Priderock. Although it was sad to see the Dry Forest destroyed Priderock was once their home and they want to help the Lion King by any means they can. As all four of them stand on the largest terrace of Priderock, it's just at that moment a small flock of blue birds fly past all four of them upon Priderock. Little did they know; the birds are a sign that another old friends of Simba's is returning. One of the cubs who joined Simba on the adventure to the Daggermouth Gorge and the only one who has been touched by the Great Spirit herself…

**End of Episode ****V****.**


	6. Kivuli the Lion King

**Author:** Daggermouth**  
**

**Lion King 4**  
**********Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter****:****VI**** – ****A Father Figure & Tedious Traps.**

Spread among all the Pridelands were the inhabitants of Priderock. Each one on their own personal journey to find what they have lost, all of them unaware those two old friends of Simba have returned. Far out across the mores, Vitani runs, faster than she's ever run before. Her legs were tired and her heart was pounding quickly. Kopa was the key to her happiness and she wasn't going to let him go ever again. Crossing the bridge between the Pridelands and the Outlands Vitani reaches her old home for the first time since she joined Simba's Pride. It was so quiet, Vitani could hear every step she took, saddened to see the Outlands like this, barren and dry, hot and wrecked. The Outlands used to be just an extension of the Pridelands until the vultures flew south and destroyed most life here. Vitani searches high and low, she knew the Outlands layout incredibly well afterall it was her home for many years, she knows every canyon and corner, but even this did not help her find Kopa. Vitani sits on a dusty dead old tree root her head hung downwards; it seemed everyone in the Pridelands has lost someone dear to their hearts. During all the fighting Nuka passed away, trying to desperately to get the love of their mother Zira; it's only those thoughts which turn the lioness's attention to her old home. The giant termite mount, now destroyed and crumbling without any inhabitants, Vitani draws her claws and digs her way inside, scratching dirt and sand out of the way to form a small tunnel. Using her feline instincts Vitani jumps down into her old home. As she lands on the ground in the heart of her old home she is suddenly surprised as she lands upon fresh tracks of a lion. Following them across the ground with her blue eyes she looks up to see a shadow of a dark lion suddenly tower upon her.

"It can't be," Vitani says muttering under her breathe and stuttering the name of the lion infront of her when she realises who it really is, she finally shakes her head and takes a few steps back before fully realising the lion who is standing before her.  
"Kivuli, is it really you?" Infront of Vitani a rough looking lion, his fur and large mane is tinted grey and his old eyes are a dazzling green colour. Sighing the grey lion confirms that he is infact Kivuli, Kovu's real father. Inside the large termite mound Vitani suddenly dashes forward and gives Kivuli an almighty cuddle, before bombarding the old lion with hundreds of questions, Kivuli listens to them all before interrupting his step-daughter,  
"Settle down child, all questions will be answered in time," the wise lion answers before sitting down and sighing deeply turning his head away, Kivuli is a very old lion, his life has been spent in his own self-exile he is lost to sadness; he spent most of his time in the Shadowlands, and this explains why his fur is grey, anyone who spends too long in the Shadowland will get their fur tainted by the dust and filth. Vitani listen to her step-fathers tale without pity as he explains about how his life was so dark and terrible in the Shadowland. Kivuli blames himself for unleashing Zira onto the Pridelands and then Kivuli vowed to never return to the Pridelands. After hearing the old lions tales Vitani gets upset and strikes her step-father right across the face.

"Listen here, you have a son who is lost without _you_! For so long he and all the family have wondered just where you were, you left Kovu to almost fall into darkness and you've been here the whole time feeling sorry for yourself? Zira's gone Kivuli; she chose her own fate for being stubborn, she had a second chance to return home and she threw it away, don't you dare do the same! The Pridelands are your home too, you are on the family tree, you're part of the Pridelands and you're always welcome there. So please, come home." Vitani offers her paw outwards as Kivuli sits in shock holding the cheek which Vitani just struck him. The grey lion slowly lowers his paw and takes Vitani's. Vitani may have not found Kopa but she found a piece of her life which has been missing for so long. Together they slowly return home.

A dark haze covers the Elephant Graveyard. Before a terrible fire here the Elephant Graveyard was called the Mog Forest, a large forest inhabited by mainly the crimson elephants, during the largest fire the Pridelands have ever known a herd of elephants got trapped in the forest as it burned and it became known as the Elephant Graveyard, the adolescent Mufasa along with his brother Scar, formally known as Taka, saw the great fire themselves. But now it is a now dangerous place filled with wrath and darkness. Nala treads carefully along this sinister land, crossing a series of large geysers streaming hot green steam from their depths, the graveyard was unstable as it was dangerous, the land itself often shook and transformed as the rock structures moved. High towers of black rock also formed in the centre. Nala searched swiftly, she did not want to remain here through the dark hours, when the land is most treacherous and the sun was fading fast, when the sun went down the shadows grew larger and the darkness would creep in, Nala had always feared the dark or more specifically, the shadows within the darkness, while searching Nala wondered if she would find Kovu here, afterall he too started his search for his real father in this dark place. However none of this mattered to her now as her brave little brother Mheetu was just told to be still alive. So why isn't she happy? She ought be delighted to hear about Mheetu, but for some reason she was still upset and angry, perhaps the snake was right, she has been lost for so long now she kept it all hidden inside her. Scouting the land she rushes past a large skull of a huge elephant and jumps down into a pile of bones. Unaware of everything happening deep inside of the Elephant Graveyard, Nala prowls most of the graveyard swiftly but cautiously, the day was almost fully gone none and the dark was growing, she has searched almost all the Elephant Graveyard. Before almost giving up for the day Nala reaches the centre of the Elephant Graveyard only the find Malka. The two of them approach eachother. Although neither one of them were surprised for seeing eachother again, as they were both searching for either Tama or Mheetu. Sighing the two old friends sit together and talk about old times, together they adventured as cubs along with Chumvi and Simba, and even Kula. But the Daggermouth Gorge was their last adventure together, Tama got swept away, Mheetu was purposively killed by Scar, and that suddenly reminds Nala that she was still searching for her little brother, Nala suddenly regrets everything,  
"For a minute I thought Mheetu was still alive," She realises she was acting upon the word of a strange snake, she realises the snake lied to her to get her away from Priderock. As Nala regrets everything and sulks into despair. Malka comforts her, Nala had a new found courage with Malka, with him by her side the two of them searched the Elephant Graveyard one last time, but Mheetu was never found and this only confirmed Nala's feelings that the snake she met lied to her about everything. Malka believes the snake did it to help the queen grieve and to help her release the feelings she's felt trapped inside her for so long. But Malka is not surprised because he too has heard of this snake, infact Malka has met this snake before, before the two old friend's part sides once more Malka explains all he knows to the lost Nala: "His name is Joka; and he is more than just a snake..."

Far across the graveyard on the other side Kovu also searches for someone, his real father named Kivuli. His sister kindly showed him a family tree made on the cavern wall she used to have fun with Kopa and Nuka in as a cub. Kovu however with his dark brown fur and hazy green eyes wonders if searching for his father was a mistake. He remembers his talk with Nala, she told him she didn't need to know who her father was because in this time she was content with her life, she was happy. But even Kovu could tell that inside Nala was not happy, she was just hiding it behind a false smile. And that worries Kovu even more. Slowly walking around a shadowy corner Kovu looks around in all directions; Kovu could look after himself and fend off any evil creatures of the savannah. He once fought off an entire pack of lions for his training. The training his mother Zira put him through, all that violence and killing and it seemed that Kovu was the only one no noticing himself becoming a monster. Stopping at a thin gorge filled with lava at the bottom, he takes a few subtle steps back and takes a large jump cleanly over the small break. It's only at that moment he hears the voice of a few laughing hyena's around the next shadowy corner. Kovu suddenly lowers his body, and creeps around the corner, they were three hyena's, one was laughing manically like he always did and the other two were making jokes, Kovu notices the female of the three hyena's appears to be the leader.

"Shh!" Shenzi the female hyena smacks her fellow hyena Ed on the head with a large white bone. All three of the them grey spotted hyena's remain silent, Kovu remembers his brother Nuka telling him about when the hyena's got chased away from the Elephant Graveyard, and this makes Kovu even more curious as to why they are here once more.  
"If she find us here separated from the main group we're dead," Banzi says muffing while chewing on a piece of bone, Banzi the continues going on about Scar and Shenzi growls referring on about to how unrewarding the Elephant Graveyard is all the amusement of Ed who laugh at the arguing pair. It's only at that moment Kovu steps on a small delicate white bone, snapping it clean in two with his paw and sending the sound of it breaking echoing all around the canyons above. The three hyenas; Shenzi, Banzi and Ed all suddenly turn their heads to see Kovu, Kovu was ready for a fight drawing his claws and he could beat them. However Kovu was outnumbered as he suddenly realises they are more than just three of them, looking up on the various terraces of the canyon above him, hundreds of hyenas all feeding, sleeping, they dusty fur almost blended into the canyon's grey walls. Suddenly Kovu turn and runs, dashing around the corner and rushing down the canyons as Shenzi, Banzi and Ed give chase, running faster than the prince, Kovu looks down to see the hyena's gaining on him, but Kovu wasn't looking where he was going and suddenly trips in the thin gap he jumped over before landing flat on his face into the ground the hyena's catch him. The three hyena's and Kovu scuffle, Kovu with his claws drawn slashes at the three beasts as each one tries to pin him down and bite him. "Dinner is served!" Banzi snarls but Kovu struggles with all his might and pushes them off him, as the prince runs away through the horrors of the graveyard a wheezing voice suddenly echoes throughout the dark land,

"Let him go," the familiar voice says as the hyena's growl but obey the order. Kovu recognises the voice also and stops running and turns his head. The weak wheezing voice could only have come from one lioness: Zira! As Kovu turns his head and looks up, standing on the top of the grey canyon wall was Zira herself stood on the wall of the canyon above him even in the cold shadows Zira's deceitful grin could be seen. In that split second Kovu works it all out as he begins running with all his might he also now bares scars on his front from the hyena's bites. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was clear; he had just seen his mother, he wanted to stay and wonder if it really was him, but the hyenas looked very hungry. Kovu rushes out of the Elephant Graveyard the way he came and it's only then he takes a deep breath and stops for a minute. The scar across his right eye gleaming in the dim setting sun behind the dark clouds, Kovu remembers when Simba told him the story of the Daggermouth Gorge and that Zira was swept away in the gorge just like Tama was when the dam broke, but the myth that Zira was still alive and had survived that ordeal is now solved as Kovu suddenly realises: Zira is still alive and not only that but now she is leading the hyenas. Kovu paces up and down and decides to talk to himself:  
"She couldn't be here, she was washed away we all saw her fall into the gorge, but that was her voice and that was her smile and now she's with the hyenas. I have to warn Simba!" The prince concludes, dropping all hopes of finding his real father and rushes off towards Priderock in the distance.

In the heart of the Pridelands during all the events going on around the savannah, Rafiki in all his wisdom remains in his wide Baobab tree. The sun had once more gone behind the horizon and the night was filled with the wondrous but equally mysterious stars. All the nocturnal creatures like the African Porcupines awake only the night and the Pridelands never truly sleep. However the ruse of night gave Rafiki the peace he needed deep inside his tree house home. Where the painting of Kopa, the other cub was still on the truck on his tree, Rafiki himself is sat crossed legged in the direct centre of a painted circle. The Baobab fruits of his tree provided as great painting equipment. In complete silence Rafiki meditates alone. As the wise mandrill breathe steady he find himself drifting off into a strange induced vision, where the magic of the savannah truly shows, Rafiki is suddenly drifted off to a place with many white clouds in silence the clouds swirl around him before a large grey shadow appears before the mandrill. The shadow was huge in size standing tall above Rafiki and had the body of a lioness,

"A full circle of events have already begun. The circle began with Zira's vengeance long ago and events will end with the sincere child Kopa. Both it seems have bested death itself and shortly the circle of events will seal inwards and ultimately end. This is their destiny, the fate of a full circle. Heed my warning righteous mandrill. Four will die. It shall begin when the sun next rises." The shadow speaks with a booming female voice, but at the same time the voice was both wise, so all-knowing, Rafiki was not in doubt he was in the presence of an otherworldly being. He manages to build to the confidence to reply "What do you mean? Who are you?" Rafiki says for once he knew not what was happening. The shadow briefly pauses before replying: "I was lost, so very long ago—"  
With a quick and sudden tug Rafiki awakes to find it was all a weird dream in his meditation. His eyes go blurry and he quickly shakes his head and jumps up onto his feet and out of the painted circle he drew. Rafiki was a powerful shaman but never had he contacting anyone like he just had. The shadow had contacted him, it seemed so powerful but at t he same time so compassionate and kind. Within the shadows eye's all the secrets of the savannah locked inside them. He decides to keep the vision with the mysterious shadow a secret. But Rafiki can't help thinking, if Zira is still alive, is this the end?

With a deathly grin Zira watches her son run away. The evil lioness was indeed alive, she makes her way down into the canyon with scowling eyes she turns to Shenzi, Banzi and Ed and roars at them;

"Do not hurt Kovu! He is still part of the plan." She growls as the three hyenas cower and run away leaving a trail of dust behind them. Zira remains in the Elephant Graveyard, she turns her head and turns away, walking further into the canyon when eventually she climbs a pile of old white bones and up onto a terrace above all the canyons, below her, hundreds of hyenas all gather below most of them fighting or running around. Zira had no choice but to side with the hyena's they are her old enemy however she blamed Simba for killing Scar and since the hyenas were already familiar with Scar making a pact with them was no so difficult. Zira thought they were idiots, just like her mate before her, she was only using them for a greater goal and the hyenas still hadn't learned that. Roaring loudly she gets the hyenas in order, she wanted Priderock, she wanted it all for herself, both Kovu, Vitani and the other Outlanders betrayed her and after everything she was not going to give up. Zira shouts down to all the hyenas in the canyon below: "Get the rest of your colony ready, tomorrow when the sun first rises, we shall stride for war!"

Four journeys have finished and the past has been found. But each journey found not exactly what was intended. As events quickly unfold with sudden and almost immediate haste surely now the fate of the Pridelands must be sealed as the sun sets once more, night falls and as all the creatures from the Bushbabies upon the treetops to the Aardvarks of the undergrowth all settle down to sleep and rest, with an army of hyenas growing in the Elephant Graveyard let by Zira, from the icy chills of the Dry Forest being slowly frozen to Kivuli, Kovu's real father who was so suddenly found in the Outlands as they all return to Priderock tomorrow will certainly bring another dark day in Pridelands history.

"Four will still die..."

**End of Episode** **VI****.**


	7. Sarafina the Lonely

**Author:** Daggermouth

**Lion King 4****  
************Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter****:****VII**** – ****Sarafina the Lonely.**

In the heart of the Pridelands, everybody gathers at Priderock with the exception of Vitani and Kivuli, everyone else stands on Priderock, all of them nuzzling, hugging and talking to eachother. All of them discussing the events what happened to them. But as everyone gathers upon Priderock one lioness remains alone, Sarafina. It seems with everybody else in their individual events she was forgotten about, but Sarafina enjoyed the peace and solace, after leaving the cave she ventures out into the savannah to take a long drink at the largest watering hole. In the thick of night as she drank Sarafina could see the stars in the reflection of the still water. Yawning slightly, Sarafina looks up and stretches, she looks up at the stars, she has had many mates in the past, she remembers Taka whom she loved in the past, but when Taka became Scar and let the darkness touch his heart Sarafina had to move on from him, but she can't help but feel, lonely. After her long rest she leisurely walks towards Priderock. The journey is quickly over but as Sarafina reaches Priderock she is greeted with arguments and everyone discussing plans. She sits and watches however saying nothing but noticing the chaos and listening carefully she picks out bits of information:

"Zira is alive and she's made a pact with all the hyena's to take over Priderock once and for all. I saw her with my own eyes; they were hundreds of hyena's; an army of them in the Elephant Graveyard." Kovu talks quickly out of breathe his heart beating fast, he needed to relax.  
"What about the Dry Forest we need help over there too," Chumvi roars over at Kovu who is meant to be acting as the new prince and helping the Pridelands. "We still have to find my brother Kopa, he's still missing!" Kiara says to her father hoping for a straight answer, finally Sarafina roars louder than everyone else, and everyone stops to look at her. The air turns silent; as Sarafina creates order and everyone takes their turns to part their worries with Simba. Obviously Simba cannot just leave the Pridelands with all this drama, Kovu was not skilled enough to deal with the king's problems and Simba didn't want to place that entire burden on him all at once. And there was still the matter of finding Kopa who seemed to have disappeared.  
"One problem at a time," Simba says to himself. It only at that moment in the thick of night that Vitani and Kivuli finally arrive at Priderock after travelling a long journey from the Outlands, Kivuli was very withdrawn and slowly walked up to join everyone else, everyone was staring at him and Kivuli turns to see his son for the first time in years. An instinct inside him just knew that this was his son. The oblivious Kovu grunts as his father approaches him.

"You have his eyes" Sarafina say over the prince and smiles, It's only when Kovu looks inside his father's green eyes that he realises. All those times Sarafina had told him, about his green eyes, she always said that they had the same eyes, Kovu suddenly realises what she meant and this was his real father.  
"Dad...?" Kovu finally musters the courage to say, his father nods and the two suddenly embrace one another. They had finally found eachother.

As everyone else prepares for an attack, Simba has work to do, and they shall be ready to finish Zira once and for all. This means Kovu, Sarafina, and Kivuli are gathered upon Priderock. By now the monument was getting quite crowded. Kivuli's fur is almost grey in colour because he has spent so much time in the Shadowland and know's much about the dark land. His mane is dark black just like the shadows he is named after. A family reunited, Sarafina is happy that father and son are together. And Sarafina has a long history with Kivuli. It was Sarafina who first introduced Zira to Kivuli so very long ago. Far away from Priderock the three of them go for a walk, to get away from all the havoc at Priderock, together the three of them lay in a small palm forest north of Priderock. It was time for some answers.  
"Long ago I was born into the Shadowland, with no mother, or father, I grew up alone, but when I grew up I became selfish and almost hateful of the world. And this is where Sarafina helped me, I found her and she brought me to the Pridelands where, in secret she introduced me to Zira. At this time Scar was king and Simba was deemed dead. While Scar was mad with power and pride, I kept meeting with Zira in secret and this is how you came into the world my son I fell in love with Zira, at the time she was sane and a most beautiful lioness. Eventually Scar was defeated and everyone was forced to mirage to the Grass Wall while the Pridelands recovered and regrew. And this is where and when you were born. You were born in Grass Wall and if I remember correctly, you were born on the exact same day Kopa was. When Zira went mad with revenge and the loss of Scar, I could not help her and I left for my home in the Shadowland. I regret it so deeply, I shouldn't of left you alone with that monster," Kivuli parts his story with a sigh, still regretting everything he has done, Sarafina nuzzles him, she has been a good friend, but she also shares the pain of Kivuli.

"Father, it's not your fault, it was the darkness, it possessed Scar, it has Zira and I think that maybe there's darkness inside me too; I've being searching for you, I need to know what this darkness is" Reflecting back Kovu remembers all the conversations he had with Simba and Kiara all about the mysterious darkness.  
"My son, you have worked so very hard to get into the position you are in now, the Lion *King trusts you and in all your temptations you sought it inside yourself to do the right thing. No darkness will ever dampen your heart my son," Kivuli says wisely, he is weak and old; he is what is known as an elder lion. Kovu smiles at his real father and gets up,

"It really is you..." Kovu smiles he can hardly believe it, a few days ago he was rolling down Priderock with Kopa fighting for his position to be the next king fearing that darkness inside drove him into it. But now he is here with his father and suddenly he feels whole once more. He looks over at his father and then over at Sarafina, his past was unwinding before him and he couldn't be happier.

Suddenly there's a loud roar, emanating across the whole of the Pridelands. One solitary roar is the call to arms. War once more was at Priderock, the feeling seemed almost customary to everyone. In the heat of it all Chumvi and Kula are dragged into helping. Kula, Vitani, Nala and Kiara help prepare the lionesses to attack many of the lionesses were once loyal to Zira and so preparations are difficult. Chumvi and Simba help the animals of the savannah to find safe land so they shall not be injured. Rafiki standing tall on the top branch of his Baobab tree gets a good view as the hyenas being emerging from the Elephant Graveyard. The mandrill signals to Zazu as the hornbill bird swoops down his little blue wings flapping swiftly as he flies through the dark of night. Simba now stood on the end of the terrace of Priderock his mane blowing the high wind as a gust a wind swirls around him. Simba looks up the at the many twinkling stars as Zazu swoops down beside him. Simba looks directly up at the brightest star in the sky, this was Mohatu, the first ever Lion King who became the brightest star in the sky. Then Simba looks down on his entire kingdom, the Pridelands, so many battles have been fought here, and so many more battles to come. Simba can't help but think that the prophecy is coming true: 'The sought successor as the rightful heir will return. Then equilibrium of this world will be broken.' Kopa was the successor and he returned just as the forewarning explained. And now, the equilibrium of the world is broken, so many problems happening all at once the balance of the savannah is uneasy. But little did Simba know another prophecy was given to his missing son Kopa. The army of hyenas approach in the distance as just mere dots on the horizon, approaching slowly, they had little more time to prepare. It was time. The yellow sun slowly edges it way up across the night sky, the night had gone quickly and once again many of the lions have had little or no sleep. They were on the brink of exhaustion but they had to keep going, just one more day. Simba gets down from Priderock and joins the lionesses and together beneath Priderock, they wait as the burning sun erupts the sky into light around them.

Zira leading her hyena colony forward they walk towards Priderock, the hyenas snapping and laughing ready and eager for battle. It's the first time Zira has been in the Pridelands for a long time and this time she is assured she will win. As she approaches Priderock both small armies stand on either side of the battleground, and once again Simba and Zira see themselves facing off. Zira looks across to see her daughter Vitani on the other side; she can't help but feel that her own daughter is different somehow in that she seemed happier in herself.

"So you really did survive," Simba scowls at the evil lioness. Zira doesn't reply instead she just paces back and forth, before stopping in the centre, she orders the attack. Suddenly the hyenas and lionesses dash towards eachother growling and fighting the two groups meet in the centre and fight without mercy. Colliding together the lionesses dive at the hyenas but while they were outnumbered they were also stronger than the hyenas. Simba rushes through the madness to find Zira but is suddenly knocked over by a hyena in a fight, shaking his head Simba immediately gets back us as four hyenas pounce on him he growls and scratches them clawing them off him with his strength. Everyone was using the last of their energy to fight. Chumvi was fighting together with Vitani and Kula was fighting alongside Kiara. And Simba couldn't find Zira anywhere, instead he kept fighting, but the wave of hyena's kept coming as the battle waged onwards. Kovu, Sarafina and Kivuli the three of them together rush from the forest towards the battle ground, Kovu dives into the fight, he was one of the few who has been resting and now it showed as he bashed the hyenas away. Biting into her back Sarafina faces off against two hyenas on her own, she was old but she still could fight pouncing forward she attacks with lightning quick movement. Kivuli however rushes up onto the terrace of Priderock where he finds Zira, his old mate. She is stood watching the fighting and barking orders to her new allies. Kivuli approaches her and the evil lioness turns to see him.

"I knew you would be here Kivuli, I have been waiting for this day a very long time." Together the two old mates circle eachother atop Priderock. Meanwhile down below in the scuffles everyone keeps fighting but the battle keeps raging on and everyone was losing their energy especially with lack of sleep. Kiara manages to escape the scuffles and back away slightly to catch his breath. Suddenly by her side is her eccentric friend Rafiki,

"Go find him, you know where to look, we can fend off Zira until you return, go find your brother," The mandrill parts his unprecedented guidance with Kiara before giving a loud eccentric battle cry and jumps into the battle smashing the hyenas with his large shaman stick. As the fighting continues Kiara cannot help but think all this has happened before, under the burning sun he realises everyone is losing their strength too quickly, Kiara looks at the large battle infront of her, and then looks on the horizon, there's only one lion that can truly stop Zira's madness: Kopa. She shakes his head and gives loud roar before dashing off towards the horizon, taking Rafiki's advice and leaving the battle behind herself she runs far off towards the east. Kopa is the only cub strong enough to stop Zira, Kopa was strong for his age, he always was, Kopa was stronger than Simba was just a cub and Kopa is the only one with an intertwining past with Zira. Everyone else was either too tired to fight or too weak to hold off the hyenas. Kiara had to hurry. She dashes off away from battle, hoping to find her brother and end this, once and for all.

Atop Priderock, Zira and Kivuli continue to circle eachother, as a group of hyenas suddenly approach up behind the elder lion Kivuli. The evil lioness now grins knowing she now has the upper hand she approaches Kivuli closer until they're directly faced onwards.

"I've been setting traps in the Pridelands for so long now. It was me who set the fire, it was meant to end Kiara once and for all and I laid all those traps across the Pridelands. I have been waiting for this day. The day I would meet you again my love, join me Kivuli, together we can be the queen and king of the Pridelands. Together we can rule everything." Zira says piercingly her voice sounding most sincere; she was truly lost to the darkness. Behind the two old mates, Sarafina rushes to help Kivuli her old friend, she tries to fight the hyenas trapping him until they suddenly turn to her and Sarafina becomes cornered against the lion's den, with a quick slash of her claw she strikes the closest hyena causing it to run off in pain.

"Sarafina! Yeah, I remember you the time you ate my father and left me as an orphan!" Banzi suddenly yells and steps forward infront of his fellow hyenas. The lioness was trapped as she backs up inside the lion's den slowly. Sarafina remembers the day, the day she took the life of Banzi's hyena father. Banzi was just a small cub as the time but his father was a ruthless hyena, a cold blooded murderer, but as an act of mercy Sarafina let the little pup Banzi live. She remembers that day all too well, it was Sarafina's first ever hunt. Banzi scowls as Sarafina as she keeps backing up until she suddenly steps on something. Stopping still she turns her head to look down at her paw and her face saddens. Sarafina stepped on a black rock. A black rock in the shape of a perfect scarab. The precursor of death had come to her and her heart sinks as she gases at the mysterious rock. Sarafina tries to call for help but by them she's already surrounded and outnumbered, Sarafina looks head on at the hyenas and sadly closes her eyes... That moment the winds change and the air grows eerie, Nala's blood runs cold, she could feel a sudden sadness overcome her, she froze and suddenly knew from a strange instinct inside her, her mother was in danger. Nala rips apart one of the smaller hyena and rushes through the fighting to find her mother. As the queen rushes up to the lion's den Banzi hastily runs down past her, his maw was covered in dry blood stains. Nala rushes to the lion's den where inside she is greeted with horror. Sarafina was laid on the rocky floor of the lion's den, she wasn't moving and her body was covered in scars, and cradled tightly in Sarafina's paw was the Black Scarab. Nala in disbelief suddenly rushes to her mother, Nala puts her head to her mother's chest; she was still breathing, but only barely. Nala cradles her mother after the fighting with her old rival Banzi. Sarafina turns her head and coughs weakly looking up at her daughter,

"Everything has its time; and everything passes on." Sarafina coughs weakly.  
"Don't leave me, not like this!" Nala yells in tears lying above her dying mother. Nala shakes in disbelief, she grips her mother tightly not wanting to let go,  
"You need to know, about your father," Sarafina gasps for air, she was fading away in her daughters paws.  
"Please, just hold on," Nala replies fearing the worst, Sarafina manages keeps her eyes open, the old lioness looks directly into her daughters, she still has strength for this,  
"He was a kind lion. The kindest lion I've even known. We met on the Evenstar Beach; he had such striking eyes and flaking fur, we are so proud of you Nala..." Sarafina smile's and remembers back to a happier time. She has had many lovers as was never truly alone. Flashbacks of her time flood her memory giving Sarafina one last taste of true happiness.  
"Don't go, not like father did," Nala weeps with Sarafina looking down upon her honest mother. Not wanting to let go, not accepting anything any more. Sarafina gains the strength to say one last thing—  
"Oh my beautiful Nala: Your father never left us. He is...still...here..." Sarafina draws her last breath and slowly drifts away in her daughter's paws resting her tired eyes for the last time. Sarafina's arm falls to the floor letting the Black Scarab roll across the ground. She was at peace now. Nala in utter shock hugs her mother so tightly, roaring loudly the tears streaming down her face, the pain was agonizing. Sarafina was gone.

**End of Episode**** VII.**


	8. The Tale of Kopa, Part Two

**Author:** Daggermouth  
**Lion King 4****  
****Chapter****:****VIII**** – ****The Tale of Prince Kopa, Part Two.  
**The roars of Nala's pain could be heard across the entire savannah, standing in the grotto entrance stood Rafiki, there was nothing he  
could have done to save Nala's mother. With a deep sigh of regret je suddenly realises the shadow he saw in his vision was right about everything, the prophecy is coming true and for the first time in a long while the mandrill is terrified of the future. He stands in the entrance of the lion's den, behind him Zira and Kivuli face off, and below the battle still rages.

At Priderock the battle continues but in the furthest reaches of the Pridelands far across the sunny mores Kopa walks along the Evenstar Beach, a fabled sandy coast around an enormous lake to the east of Priderock just past the Daggermouth Gorge. If anyone was to survive falling into that dangerous gorge, this is where they would eventually get washed up. Kopa walks across the smooth land, feeling the particles of sand beneath his golden paws, he looks back and wonders to himself about his life, about everything, right now to him none of it mattered he was still mad they tried to replace him with a new prince. Looking over at Priderock Kopa couldn't see the fighting from where he was as Priderock were a mere spec in the distance. But he sees a figure running towards him, a lioness, she was just a young adult and it takes the prince awhile to realise it is his sister. In the short time it take Kiara to run toward the beach the prince thinks of what to say, he has never seen his sister fully grown before, and she has never seen him fully grown before either. Kiara rushes forward and eventually reaches the beach; she squints over at Kopa, was stood tall with a larger brown and slightly ginger mane, his eyes were brown and the colour of his fur matched that of the sand on the shore around them. And for the first time brother and sister reunite. Kiara knows about her brothers tale but he never got to finish what really happened to him Kopa decides to reflects back on what happened to him after he chased a shadowy figure in the fog that fateful day when he was a cub—

'—_"Y-you only told me that you stopped Scar. Not killed him!" Tears stream down the prince's face, Kopa suddenly realises the truth of his origins, "You lied to me! It was you who killed Vitani's father!" Kopa screams at his dad before shaking his head and running off into the darkened savannah. Kopa ran so fast he couldn't hear his father's cries: "Kopa I can explain, please come back!" Simba's voice only seemed a mere echo as the prince Kopa ran so fast he didn't even notice he was running into __a mysterious white fog, angry and upset at the past, Kopa suddenly finds he is alone. Looking around so cold and upset, Kopa fails to see a lioness in the fog with him. The lioness gazes at the young cub prince, a killing look in her eye; claws drawn; the fog would be the perfect ambush. It seemed Kopa's fate was already sealed__**.**_

_At Priderock was fog was getting denser, Simba arrives at Priderock and worries that Kopa has run away, alerting everyone on guard including Kopa grandmother Sarabi who looks out across the Pridelands, its only at that moment that the devious Zira approaches the elder lioness and circles around her mocking the lioness about her missing grandson,  
"Soon Sarabi everything in the Pridelands shall be mine," Zira snarls one day she believes all the Pridelands will belong to her own son Kovu and she will be the instigator of this plan. Sarabi frowns and rushes out to find Kopa praying that this magical land will never fall into total darkness. The search continues throughout the daylight hours, but it was almost impossible to find the prince as he was too far deep inside it. Sulking in the fog and curled up into a ball the young cub prince was upset, he just realised it was Simba who killed the father of his true love Vitani. The fog was icy cold and it appeared to be coming from underneath the ground itself, Kopa shivered and sighed and looked around to realise he was lost and the lioness draws closer, circling the prince she makes her approach with claws drawn, its Zira. As she approaches she seems friendly at first and the prince decides to approach her also, that was until suddenly Kopa's grandmother Sarabi jumps infront of the prince growling at the villain Zira. Suddenly her plan becomes real as Sarabi and Zira fight in the in the centre of the Pridelands, Sarabi was old and outmanoeuvring the younger Zira but Sarabi fell as she was clawed across the face many times.  
"Run!" Sarabi barks orders to her grandson as Kopa in fear runs for her life leaving the two fighting lionesses behind him. Running fast Kopa screams for his mom and dad, it's only at that moment that the fog decides to clear slightly revealing more of the Pridelands around them. Kopa turns his head to see something, a spirit crossing the Pridelands behind him, the spirit of a black fox, it looks directly at the small prince and Kopa looks back at the ghostly black figure before it fades away before him the sheer site of the spirit sent chills down the young prince's spine. His fur stood on end before finally he snapped back to his senses and continued running. _

"_I know you're here Sarabi; I can smell your fear!" Zira roars further in the icy cold fog. Sarabi rushes forward before Kopa and the elder lioness take no hesitation of taking Kopa in her mouth by the scruff and running, dashing off to the tall grass and placing him down where he can hide.  
"Kopa promise me, no matter what you hear or see that you will stay here! Promise me!" Kopa gulps and breathes heavily,  
"Promise me!" Sarabi says again almost shouting this time in desperation.  
"I promise grandma." Kopa says scared he looks at Sarabi's face covered in scars and cuts before she dashes off to get help.  
Kopa says extremely frightened. Sarabi has rushed off to find help leaving Kopa in the tall grass, alone.  
"Come out little Kopa; It's only a matter of time." Kopa ducks as low as he his body pressed against the ground hiding and hoping for her to go away. As Zira walks past, he backs off slightly. He holds his breathe his heart beating quickly his paws shaking; Zira silently spots Kopa and walks through the tall grass towards him.  
"Let me tell you about my daughter Kopa, she never loved you and she never will, not if I have anything to say about it." Zira comes up infront of the scared prince, Kopa looks up in tears as Zira with an evil grin on her face bears down on the defenceless cub... "No…I love Vita__—__!"Kopa mumbles his last words before they're cut short as his life is mercilessly taken from him.  
_  
_A full circle of events began that fateful day. Sarabi hurt from the attack ran to Priderock and warned the others also hurt and __attacked by Zira but she escaped and told the king. Sarabi rushes through the grass with Simba and Nala and Zazu flying not too close behind the fog clearing in their path as they run revealing the clear red sunset. Brushing through the tall grass they reach the scene. Zira is dusting off her claws and Kopa is laying on a small rock, his lifeless paws hanging over the edge… his body motionless and covered in blood. Kopa was already gone…and they were too late... Horror greets everyone at the scene, nobody could react big enough for words, Simba gaze upon Zira in absolute rage, Nala looked at her darling baby Kopa and shook in fear,  
"Not again, please no, not again," Nala cries and rushes up to Kopa. She had already lost Mheetu during Scar reign and was grieving in anguish throughout all of the Great Migration and now she can't lose her cub too; Nala cradles her little brave prince curling up around him.  
"W-what have you done!" Simba finally breaks the eerie silence and pounces on Zira and bites at her violently much too evil lioness' amusement as she just laughed in the face of the Lion King. "You don't deserve to live!" Simba roars again louder this time in rage he lifts his paw up ready to deal a killing blow his sharp claws drawn ready to destroy Zira but then in the distance the cub Vitani and adolescent Nuka both also come into view through the grass they've come to see the loud disturbance happening under the furious sunset. Simba's rage then drains out of him…  
"Yes, you can't do it can you afterall: It will orphan my poor beloved cubs," Out of everyone Vitani reacted the worst, she was only just a cub and seeing Kopa in the state he was in, she was heartbroken, tears swelled up in her eyes, she couldn't quite understand that Kopa was really gone, brother and sister sit together and watch as Simba lowers his paw. Nala curls around Kopa.  
"My baby… I was too late… I'm so sorry," She cries and licks Kopa's body clean of dirt and the little blood from what is left of his body. At that moment a single radiating light shines down from between the clouds right upon Kopa's body as a brief wind blows, white pedals fly through the air around them. Simba lets Zira up as he walks to his dead son and Nala still comforting him. Sarabi looks down at the ground suddenly blaming her for leaving him like she did in the heat of the moment. Simba shakes his head at the deviation,  
"Get out," He whimpers under his many tears before mustering the strength to shout: "I sad get out! And never return!" Simba roars rage and turns to Zira a murderous look in his eye.  
"Nuka, go get your brother Kovu, we're leaving," Zira picks up Vitani in her mouth by the scruff and turns away, Vitani with tears in her eyes; inside she just knows it's the last time she'll ever see her love. As the two groups separated; those who were friends or loyal with Zira joined her in exile to the barren Outland one such lioness was Doti who had fallen in love with Nuka during the Equinox sunset the night before and thus they all separated, the pride was broken. Rafiki appears from the tall grass, he has been called by the winds. He blesses Kopa and places his hand upon Nala's shoulder. Nala reluctantly has to leave Kopa after grooming his dead body… Rafiki blesses Kopa's body to help him on his way to the passed life with the Great Spirit the place all good creatures of the Pridelands go when they die and that day the Pridelands entered a great time of mourning. The message is sent across the Pridelands to grieve the loss of Kopa the wind blow across the Pridelands carrying pink petals. The echoes upon the wind flew across the sky to the oasis to tell Timon and Pumbaa and also far to the north to the Dry Forest and finally back to Priderock itself as the wind dusts itself across the lion's den as inside the den, Nala cradles her newest cub, she remembers how happy Kopa was when he learned he had a sister, but now he will never see her grow up. Everyone remains silent in the lion's den until Sarabi then admits it's all her fault regretfully she is laid in the corner her wounds are great but Rafiki is trying his best to tend her to wound and keep everyone together.  
"It's my fault; I told him what happened with Scar...I left him alone." Simba corrects his mother Sarabi admitting he was to blame also. Simba feels like he let everyone down especially Nala who is so upset she has given up on herself. Falling into a spiral of depression similar to that of queen Uru, Nala rejects her newly born cub and it's up to Simba and Rafiki to help her:  
"No matter the loss of Kopa you still have another healthy cub and she must be presented to the people tomorrow morning at first light." Rafiki says looking over at Nala who is rejecting her newest baby female cub. Simba looks down to the ground "I'll make sure nothing happens to her, I'll put paths in the Pridelands which she must follow, I'll watch over her protect her no matter what." Simba grunts he was willing to protect her even if it meant he would have to watch over her himself for the rest of her life. Nala turns to her newest cub. And utters the cubs name for the first time:  
"Kiara."_ _Sarabi passed away in the few days what followed, Rafiki explained that she had given up on all hope now that Kopa was gone and that her last words were regret for not heeding Zira's many warnings. Kiara is now old enough to be presented to the Pridelands. Rafiki sends the Echo's upon the winds once more chanting his song and all the animals came to Priderock. The sun rose on the horizon as the animals marched across the magical land. Rafiki then walks into the Lion Den with a large smile, and presents Kiara. Zira went to the Outland with her three cubs Vitani, Kovu and Nuka, they grew up together in the barren harshness, and poor Vitani was so alone. The nightmares she had of losing Kopa, the one she loved, of being pulled into a black void her heart was destroyed and she became fearless and she lost most her beauty in the Outland. But that one night Kopa was attacked something happened... _

_In the cold night far in the Pridelands, the blistering darkness burns with cold chills. Kopa is left on the rock he died on, His body lifeless and fading away, nothing more but the sweeping gusts of wind could be heard but then, but as a sudden gust of wind rotates around him the faint glow of life returns to the cub and Kopa abruptly awakes in tears. He grunts in anguish, coughs and gets up weakly, covered in dirt and blood. He trembles and falls off the rock he was on…Falling to the ground his body could hardly move. He struggled to even lift his body up he gasps for breathe, the only question running through his head is wondering how he survived, Kopa sobs and finally gets up,  
__"I see; I see, Why can I see Grandpa?" Kopa squints the tears of the lion cub flow down his cheeks. The shadowy image of Mufasa in front of a white light comes into his vision. He shakes his head and musters all his strength to get back up. He glances over his __shoulder and gazes Priderock in the distance of the night; his vision is blurry, his paws are quivering, "I just, want to go home. And Vitani, I should of said it before, I love you," Kopa scream out to himself but it was all too late. Speaking no more. He turns around and stumbles into the grass. The faint echoing voice of his Grandpa Mufasa rings out to him beckoning him, telling the young prince it's time to move on. But Kopa rushes away, each step he takes was as painful as the next but he ran anyway, the pain was almost natural to him now. Kopa ran so far away, further than any lion went before, the cub was so upset and destroyed inside almost nothing was left. In the many days what followed eventually Kopa discovers a mysterious lioness at the location known as the Evenstar Beach. She introduces herself as Tama.  
"I was lost, so very long ago," she explains to the young cub however Tama had no clue that this little cub was. But they were both lost far from home and they could relate to eachother. As Kopa grew older with Tama, he gains and musters the courage to fight and he grew stronger. Tama and Kopa grew up on the Evenstar Beach together, Tama was like a mother to him, and Kopa almost forget his past completely. Eventually they too had to go their separate ways; this is when Kopa met a purple snake with red stripes and a piecing voice which slivers up behind him. The snake was called Joka, and he is more than just a snake. The snake gifted with second sight manipulated Kopa into using Malka to lie and finally Kopa returned home to Priderock—'_****

—Kopa now finishes the last of his story on the Evenstar Beach, he had just explained everything to his younger sister Kiara, about why he returned and where he had been all this time. Kopa knew where to find Tama because he grew up with her in the same years that Kovu and Kiara were growing up together. Suddenly everything became clear to Kiara, now she knows why Zira was exiled and banished; now she knows why he father Simba was so overprotective of her. She smiles to herself as Kopa kicks the sand before finally drawing a circle in the golden sand with his paw.  
"The full circle of events which can never be stopped or changed," Kopa say to himself looking at the circle he drew. Kiara finally has the answers she wanted she rushes up to her brother and gives him an almighty nuzzle to reassure him that everything will be fine. But she is surprised to see that Kopa already Zira is still alive and he is so angry at her, Kopa might finally be able to get his revenge on that most evil of lionesses.  
"We'll stop Zira together," Kiara offers her paw to her brother, who sadly looks out across the large lake and down at the circle in the sand he drew before taking his sister's paw and the two of them rush off to the west towards Priderock. The circle Kopa marked into the golden sand slowly gets washed away by the waves of the Evenstar Beach; they flow majestically across the sand destroying the circle as brother and sister run towards the fabled Priderock to hopefully stop Zira once and all.

**End of Episode** **VIII** ****


	9. The Malevolent Queen

**Author:** Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author: **Sorry everyone, it's another "flashback" chapter. It's the last one I promise!

**Lion King 4****  
************Book Two – Reuniting the Pasts **

**Chapter****: ****IX**** – ****Finale Part ****I****:**** The Malevolent Queen**

Atop Priderock, Zira and Kivuli continue to circle each-other, as a group of hyenas suddenly approach up behind the elder lion Kivuli. The evil lioness now grins knowing she now has the upper hand she approaches Kivuli closer until they're directly faced onwards.

"I've been setting traps in the Pridelands for so long now. It was me who set the fire, it was meant to end Kiara once and for all and I laid all those traps across the Pridelands. I have been waiting for this day. The day I would meet you again my love, join me Kivuli, together we can be the queen and king of the Pridelands. Together we can rule everything." Zira says piercingly her voice sounding most sincere; she was truly lost to the darkness. Kivuli looks at his old mate; her eyes were so different they were dim and lost their past beauty and radiance.  
"Stop this madness; put an end to all this and you can go home, to your parents! Do you even remember their names?" The two of them stop circling each-other on Priderock and Zira's scowl turns into a look of regret, looking back on her life. She dare not look back on her past, so much fighting, so much rage and anger, and there in the darkness is a small spot of light, her parents who until now she had denied they ever lived. She approaches the elder lion Kivuli and slowly turns to face him.

"Their names were Uzuri and Kari." Zira gazes right into the eyes of the bigger lion and then she reflects back way back to when she herself was a cub, the old queen remembers them well, she had her mother: Kari and her father: Uzuri, who she has missed so much, but it is because of them all this was made possible, because of her parents Zira became who she is, sitting next to her old mate atop Priderock the malevolent queen Zira tells her own chronicle of her past life—'

'—_In a warm time of tangible peace and propriety, far along the Zeburi River down to the very south along its golden coast, once more the animals of this land did shiver awake, opening their eyes at the blistering sun, it started like another dawn marked by the clear blue morning sky. The all-important stars temporally fade away in the blazing orange sky, a group of cheerful but importantly bright blue birds flutter throughout this land. The sky was filled with the fresh morning air as the new mother awoke from her home. Kari smiled up and welcomed the sun; Kari had dazzling but mysterious brown eyes and white flaky fur and in this time long ago she was currently the strongest lioness in all the Pridelands. Here she lived with her mate in a small green wood surrounded with a healthy and tall variety of trees; this is the forest that time forgot. The forest's true name remains a mystery but that never mattered to Kari who had just given birth to her only offspring, as she turns to see her mate Uzuri the darkest lion she ever met, he always wore a small distinctive grey scarf made of old grass and over woodland undergrowth. The grey scarf was wrapped tightly around his right 's paws themselves were white in colour, while the rest of his fur was dark grey. Uzuri was cradling their new born cub smiling at the wonders of new life._

_"What shall we call her my love?" Uzuri smiles up at his stronger female mate with a warm smile, deciding to give her the honour of naming their new born cub. Kari looks down on the infant and searches her feelings; she decides to name her cub with a mixture of their own two names: "Zira," Kari says deep in the reclusive forest. While Uzuri was a kind lion, his mate Kari was somewhat overpowering, sometimes using her lioness strength to intimidate others, but she held a secret, for she was protecting something. The woodland itself was circular in shape and at the very centre of the forest rested a strange haphazard stone alter. On the top of the stone alter was a peculiar white stone perched on the altar. Kari was prepared to do anything to protect this white stone and stop anyone who came near it, Uzuri the kind lion never questioned his mate about the location at the centre of the forest, he was too timid for that. It is only when Zira grew old enough to speak her first words that her world started to crumble apart. This is her story; the story of how the little cub Zira grew up and descended into the darkness._

_Zira's magnificent hazel eyes gleamed in the dark forest, the small female cub had just awakened and she rushes up to her father nudging him "Dad, Dad! C'mon I want to play!" Zira pounces on her sleeping tired father Uzuri, the small lion groans and rolls over in his slumber before opening his white eyes. Zira playfully growls and tugs on her father's ear in a futile effort to get him up, but the elder lion wakes up on his own. Yawning widely Uzuri realises the sun hasn't even risen in the dark sky yet. But he smiles, Uzuri always slept alone, Kari, as always was guarding the strange rock alter at the centre of their forest home day and all night. The trees were so densely huddled together it would be hard for Uzuri to play with his daughter without something going wrong. While they almost had the entire forest to themselves, many tigers lived in the lush forest around them and Uzuri was too old to be fighting groups of tigers. So the lion headed out with his daughter Zira to the north to play by the old logs. As Zira happily bounces and skips along the grass she enjoys herself. She was content. When together father and daughter reach an opening in the trees with several large intact logs dotted around. Uzuri comes up with a cunning plan, using the logs he arranges them together, after alittle effort Uzuri had created a mini adventure playground for his daughter with the logs. Zira nuzzles her taller father with a small purr before rushing off to play inside the logs, she rolls around of them and crawls around enjoying herself as cubs did as Uzuri chuckled and lies down on the grass. As the sun arose high the sky its beaming light shined down through the canopy of trees, the rays of light eliminated t he opening. Zira spent all day with her kind father. Together they had many adventures inside the forest as the sun peaked in the sky Zira pounce on her father and he playfully fell to the ground with a deep laugh. It's only at that moment the young cub Zira notices the strange grey cloth around her father's paw.  
"Dad, why do you wear that scarf around your paw?" Zira questions her father so suddenly tilting her lovable head. Uzuri lifts his paw upwards to show his ornament up into the white rays of light.  
"It's for good luck, I weaved it from this very forest when me and your mother first announced our love to eachother," he smiles __warmly sincerely. As the day continue daughter and father enjoyed the warmth of the woodland they live in, far across the whole forest they adventured up high and down low, finding strange bugs and laughing, enjoying themselves as they always did. And this time it seemed like any other day, until when returning to their forest home together Kari rushes out of the lush forest chasing a small tiger with her claws drawn she roars angrily, Kari pounces on the tiger and tears it apart mercilessly pulling it and ending its life right infront of her small daughter Zira. Uzuri immediately covers his daughter curling around her to shield her eyes but by then it's too late. The tiger was dead and its blood was on Kari's paws. Kari herself just grunted and headed back to the stone alter while Uzuri takes Zira back home. He lays her down in a bed of soft straw as Zira was in sudden shock; such a lovely day was ruined with such a sight of horror. Zira shakes in her straw bed, As the sun descended and Zira fell asleep warmly tucked into the fur of her father. Uzuri cradled his daughter before parting with her and rushes over to find his mate. He knew exactly where to find Kari. She was where she always was. Rushing up to his mate Kari, Uzuri roars in anger:  
"Why do you care so much about that whit stone? Why is it so important you have to kill an innocent tiger to protect it? You know, it's because of you we can't go live in the Pridelands with the Lion King Ahadi. He just returned home to Priderock and he brought the rain back with him. We can go live there, where it is safe, away from this forest, away from that white stone on the rock altar you keep swearing to protect more than your own daughter!" Uzuri roars, but as he does he just suddenly regrets doing so almost immediately. It was not like him to just suddenly outburst like that. He was too good natured to yell anymore, he never stood up against Kari before. But this time she had really let them down...  
"I've had enough, I'm taking Zira and I'm leaving this place, forever!" Uzuri finishes, doing the only thing he knows he can do, protecting his daughter. Kari obviously couldn't follow them, she would be at the stone alter like she always was, day and night sleeping at its base, killing anyone who gets close to it, obsessed with the strange mysterious white coloured stone perched upon it._

_That night a storm was brewing, Uzuri had Zira by the scruff in his mouth and although it pained him to do so, he was already far away from the forest and now following the Zeburi River up to the Pridelands in the North. He had never done anything like this before and it went against everything he stood for. His mate had gone mad and even Kari herself didn't understand the full purpose of the white stone in the centre of their forest home. Ever since them the two of them fell in love Kari was always protecting it... As thoughts of his mate rushed through his mind Uzuri suddenly felt a sharp pain across his back._

_"How dare you say I don't care for Zira!" Kari rushes up to her mate pouncing on him as the two elder lions roll across the floor fighting in a scuffle kicking up sand up high on the river bed. Zira falls to the ground, getting up and shaking her head, watching her two parents fight, it was heartbreaking to her,  
"Stop it!" Zira repeats over and over again in desperation she rushes up to her fighting parents in a bid to stop. Kari was overpowering her mate as Uzuri frails his paws desperately trying to fight back. A thunder claps erupt above the sky above them. Zira quickly approaches the fighting couple but during the fighting she is kicked in the scuffle and falls across the floor sliding right over the edge and into the Zeburi River with a loud splash. As more thunder lights up the sky in the storm the Zeburi River was rushing faster than ever, Zira gasps for breathe her fur was wet and ruined, she tried to keep her head above the water but she was only a young cub. Only the cries of their daughter stop Kari and Uzuri from fighting. Both of them hear Zira at the same time and they both rush to the water edge looking across the water in fright, _"_Zira! Zirrraaaa!" Uzuri chases his daughter down the river but the raging water is too fast and Zira is thrown down the river at deadly speed. Zira couldn't even muster the strength to cry for help anymore. Her parents suddenly out of sight, the thunderstorm rages above. In fear Zira thought her last memories were going to be of her mom and dad fighting as the cub is washed across the savannah. And that was the last time she ever saw her parents...  
_  
_In the warmth of the savannah a newly formed tide covered with thick broken logs presents itself on the rocky coast of the Pridelands. In the coastal waves a figure of a lioness is washed away with the tide. With no strength to raise her legs she crawls out of the water and trundles further onto the coast. She wheezes for breath only to cough up water. The strong waves trying to haul her back into the rushing river she came down from. The lioness almost reached the end of her life after falling from a reasonable height into the water and swept down the Daggermouth gorge when the dam broke. The waters crushed upon her with such power and ferocity__the next second she could breathe was on this coast, but now she was greedily swallowing the air before eventually awakening and started coming to her senses over than the tang of wet groggy dirt and sand in her mouth. She rubs her bleak face and eyes with a broken paw. She shakes her golden furred body to release the water and only then she does look up at the horizon and stare at Priderock still standing strong in the distance. With cowardly eye's she draws her chipped claws and weakly hobbles off alongside the golden twilight coast._

_"Hey, who're you?" A dark furred adolescent teenage lion turns to the golden female cub that just appeared on the same shore. The lioness spitting out some swallowed sand weakly manages to speak her name:  
"Zira... My name is Zira." She says, the water trapped in her throat had permanently changed her once beautiful voice into one of wheezing horror.  
The dark furred lion smiles, and introduces himself:  
"I'm Taka! Oh wait, that was my old name until I got this Scar...Did you run away from home too?" The teenage Scar says on the Evenstar Beach. The beach was around a large lake and it was here Scar and Zira met. Both of them lost from home. Priderock was a mere speck on the distant horizon from the beach. Zira finally manages to reply,  
"Yeah, I guess I did run away..." Zira only remembers the horror of her mother ripping a tiger apart and both her parents fighting at forest. She had no reason to return home. And so without thinking too much, Zira went with Scar to Priderock. Where Zira found a new better mother named Uru who adopted her and protected her. Zira cries and hugs Uru. However spending time in the Pridelands never made her forget those horrors she saw as just a cub and it scared her for life. Scar had already fallen into hatred; __he had already met with three young hyenas and is quick to forcefully make friends with them. Nobody notices that Scar was gone from Priderock he was almost forgotten as Mufasa was learning to become the Lion King. The three young hyenas: Shenzi, Banzi and Ed, schemed with Scar, creating dark plans to depose of Mufasa. Meanwhile Ahadi's private watering hole was mysteriously poisoned; Ahadi died almost immediately, his life cut short. Everyone undoubtedly held Scar responsible for this treachery. Scar claimed to be innocent, he was at the Elephant Graveyard at the time of Ahadi's death and no facts ever proved him to be his father's killer, Scar walked free. But to this day no-one ever truthfully know's who killed Ahadi, or why they committed the appalling act._

_After many more lengthy days away planning dark dangers for his brother, the now heartless and hateful Scar returns home to visit Zira and his old mate Sarafina only to see Mufasa the newly crowned Lion King stood apex the end of Priderock with his new mate Sarabi, basking in the light while his forgotten brother Scar laid underneath in the shadows watching his brother with fresh hate. Putting his paw slowly upon his scar, that morning the darkness inside of him manifested itself, it's that day he vowed his revenge, the plans were made, the hyena's were prepared and vengeance will come. His brother had everything he ever wanted, he even got to spend more time with father, he got to be king and even found a loving mate, but little Taka got nothing, betrayed by his own brother Mufasa, the promises made to him were always broken. But Taka was not that little cub anymore, now he was Scar, and now he sought only to tear down Mufasa. As all the different animals headed the calling as echoes upon the four winds, they gathered at Priderock for Mufasa's coronation, together they all chanted in devoted unison what would become Scar's parting words to his brother: "Long live the king...! Long live the king...! Long live the king__...__!" However Zira was stood next to Scar and she understood his pain like no one ever had. She nuzzled him warmly and she was by his side the whole time. Together they had two cubs: Vitani and Nuka. And while Scar was planning to kill Mufasa, Zira raised their cubs in the recluse of the Pridelands out of sight and out of mind. Zira always wondered why her parents never came to look for her at Priderock, she wondered just what happened to them in the end but she never found out._

_Then it finally happened, Scar acted out his evil revenge, killing Mufasa and Simba was lost in exile. Zira became the Malevolent Queen and Scar became the Dark Lion King. During these times the younger Sarafina could only watch she already knew Scar was lost to darkness but she still had hope to save Zira. Sarafina decided to introduce her old friend Kivuli to the Malevolent Queen in an effort to turn Zira and show the kindness in her heart. Sarafina and Kivuli were old friends in these dark times and Sarafina introduced the brown furred lion to Zira on the day of Scar's coronation, the day the hyena's entered the Pridelands. Unlike Scar, Kivuli was kind and truthful. It seemed Zira might have being saved from the darkness when she fell in love with Kivuli and hope it seemed was restored; Zira later became pregnant with Kivuli's cub. But Sarafina's plan failed one fateful day. The Dark Lion King Scar was defeated and then killed by Simba. That was the day when everything changed forever. As Simba ascended onto Priderock, Zira cradled Scar's body, Zira was no longer the Malevolent Queen and Scar's body was mess because of the hyenas attack, but as Zira cuddled her mate, the sparkle of life was still in Scar's green eyes, Scar noticed that Zira was pregnant once more and as she hugged his blood stained body in tears, Scar tilts his head, too weak to move much, Scar was staring at a figure on the horizon, a single black ghostly figure was watching his last moments. A spirit of a black fox was watching him, staring right into his eyes. The spirit made him feel uneasy and made the Dark King scared for the first time in a long while. Scar remembers back when his real name of Taka was used, how he used to play in the Mog Forest with Mufasa, Sarabi and Sarafina before everything started falling apart. Scar lifts up his brown paw and rubs Zira's belated womb before managing to weakly say his final words: "Long live the king__—_'

Zira, now a fully grown lioness, finishes telling her story to Kivuli. The whole time the two of them were sat together, protected by a group a hyena's behind them. While everyone was fighting they were bonding on the largest ledge of Priderock. Kivuli listened intently as his old mate finished her long story.  
"Because of Scar's last words you both wanted the unborn Kovu to become the next king. You raised three cubs all on your own without love and without hope. Even the unfortunate Nuka had to grow up knowing he would never become the next king." Kivuli concludes finally understands Zira's pain. Scar never knew that Zira loved Kivuli behind his back. Zira was in love with two lions at the same time. It was a long and complicated tale, Zira's whole life had been one of horror, pain and misunderstanding, Kivuli who in regret for ever leaving her alone nuzzles her warmly, she was hurt inside and it had been so long since they saw eachother. Kivuli closes his eyes and while nuzzling her, the grey lion parts just a few more words:

"Just as my fur used to be brown, it was twisted grey when I was in the Shadowland that is what the Shadowland does to you, it taints your fur, it marks you forever. It changes us, but you can change too Zira. You can be a good and caring wife as you always were before. Zira my love, we will put an end to all of this; Together."  
**  
****End of Episode**** IX**


	10. The Fate of Full Circle

**Author:** Daggermouth  
**Message from the Author: **The final chapter, sorry if it's slightly anti-climatic. Book Three will follow this one; you can look forward to it starting throughout the summer. Warning: towards the end of this chapter it becomes extremely dark.

**Lion King 4****  
****Chapter****:**** X**** – ****Finale Part ****I****I:**** Fate of the Full Circle **

Kopa kicks the sand before finally drawing a circle in the golden coastal sand with his paw.  
"The full circle of events which can never be stopped or changed," Kopa say to himself looking at the circle he drew. Kiara finally has the answers she wanted she rushes up to her brother and gives him an almighty nuzzle to reassure him that everything will be fine. As Kiara fills Kopa in of all the events that have past she is surprised to see that Kopa is willing to confront Zira once more. Kopa might finally be able to get his revenge on that most evil of lionesses.  
"We'll stop Zira together," Kiara offers her paw to her brother, who sadly looks out across the large lake and down at the circle in the sand he drew before taking his sister's paw and the two of them rush off to the west towards Priderock. The circle Kopa marked into the golden sand slowly gets washed away by the waves of the Evenstar Beach; they flow majestically across the sand destroying the circle as brother and sister run towards the fabled Priderock. The Evenstar Beach becomes silent, only the shallow tides brush up against the coast of the lake as a rather silent purple snake with red stripes and a piecing voice slivers across the golden sand. It watches brother and sister rush away from the beach before the red eyes of the snake glance down at the destroyed and faded circle drawn into the sand realizes the end is near. The circle represents five tales of the past all reunited together: Kopa, Zira, Scar, Sarafina, Kivuli, A circle of events which began when Zira was born and lost, a circle of events which lead to Kopa's disappearance and to Sarafina's death and a circle of events which will finally end when Zira is ultimately stopped. The snake gazes out impassively towards the west watching brother and sister run alongside one another towards Priderock in the faraway distance before slivering unaccompanied towards the deathly Shadowland.

Priderock was a torn battlefield now. The area around Priderock was already scarred with ash and the grass was dead from the constant fighting. The majority of the hyenas were defeated but some still fought valiantly. They just needed one final push to defeat her once and for all. All the other lionesses fought valiantly but most of them had fallen, Simba and his old friend Chumvi stand back to back fighting anything what comes near them, both of them were exhausted but they carried on because they needed to win this fight. Vitani and Kula stand together fighting off any of all predators. Meanwhile Kopa and Kiara rush further and further towards Priderock, the monument was getting larger across the purple horizon. Nala was still in the lion's den, after her pain she suddenly becomes overcome with rage, the dark thoughts suddenly creep inside her and touch her heart and for once in her life Nala wanted revenge, she was going to kill Zira for everything she and Scar has done, they took away Kopa, Mheetu and now Sarafina, they have taken so much away from her. Nala cries in anger and rushes out the lion's den and into the field of battle crushing any hyenas in her path killing one as she slashes right across its face in anger. She was working her way towards Zira. Destroying the hyena's guarding Zira, Nala brushes past them like they were weightless. Nala's rage was keeping her fighting and finally she reaches Zira only to find her nuzzling with Kivuli. But Nala didn't care she shoves Kivuli out of the way and dives onto the evil lioness, scratching her face wildly Nala was still in tears. Kivuli falls the fall he was almost thrown away by Nala; he shakes his head and gets up. He is saddened to Zira has given up the will to fight and is just letting Nala attack her.  
"Fight Back!" Nala growls loudly in rage as she smacks Zira across the face with her paw and claws. After just seeing her mother die Nala was holding nothing back as the queen scratches Zira's face clawing it straight across her eyes. Zira wails in pain and finally gets up to face her challenger. Nala dashes towards the lioness once more but Kivuli rushes forward to stop the queen Nala, crashing his full body into her and knocking Nala off her paws...

Down below in the battle, the lionesses were falling, it seemed the Hyena's were too great, Priderock was caught unprepared. Simba was worried, the fighting seemed to never stop, his legs were giving up and he was exhausted, Simba only wished that instead of staying awake all those nights that instead he had slept. Even Timon and Pumbaa were fighting now in their own comical ways, Pumbaa had a log locked into his tusks as was flailing his head about from side to side while Timon was riding on the back of a hyena and bopping it on the head with the smallest stick Simba had ever seen. But even now Simba worried. He was joined by his old friends Chumvi and Kula and still he couldn't find the assurance to keep going. As three very familiar hyenas approach him, Shenzi, Banzi and Ed, they were the ones who chased him away from the Pridelands throughout the Daggermouth Thorn Forest when Simba was just a cub. The four of them rush together; Simba jumps first, grabbing Banzi and rolling across with him all the time trying to strike the hyena. The hyenas were fast but Simba breaks off from Banzi and calls over to Timon and Pumbaa for some well-needed assistance. The sky was red as blood when they arrived and Simba grabbed the log on Pumbaa's tusk,  
"Whoa Simba, don't be doing anything to hasty now, Ahh—" Thwack! Simba swung the log right into the three hyenas with little ease sending the three hyenas flying before they flee, rushing away from Priderock hopefully never to return again.

Meanwhile Vitani, impatient as ever was still fighting strong, she was one of the strongest lionesses in the Pridelands and she was never scared of hyenas even as a cub. She knew how to fight, but the hyenas always fought with little leadership. Vitani wondered what made her mother Zira stop barking orders from above on Priderock. It was strangely silent up there. The fearless lioness Vitani has no idea her mother was still alive, she saw her mother get swept away down the Daggermouth Gorge. Suddenly Vitani is knocked down by Shenzi, Banzi and Ed as they flee. They crashed right into the lioness catching her off guard. It's only at that moment Kula approaches her and helps her back up.  
"Perhaps we can get to know eachother sometime!" Kula grins as she rushes off help her mate Chumvi. Together they were dragged into war; they were only visiting Priderock to hopefully find an answer to the strange icy mist back at their home in the far North. Kula was rather protective of her mate; they had never fought the vicious hyenas before. When the hyenas got chases away from the Elephant Graveyard Kula and Chumvi had already moved to their new home at the Dry Forest. But none of that mattered now as they stand back-to-back ready to take on the hyenas.

Across from the burning red sun after a long journey brother and sister finally return. Kopa is horrified to see the scene, Priderock was torn the grass was dead. Everyone; his friends and family were all fighting. Kiara parts ways with her brother, she rushes to help her mate Kovu as he was fighting alone. As Kiara fights with Kovu, the son of the Lion King makes his way up onto Priderock. It was time to end this. Kopa heads up onto Priderock to confront the mistress of evil behind all this: Zira.

"Enough!" Kivuli shouts at Nala. The queen wasn't giving up, she wanted Zira dead. But at every turn Kivuli was acting as a shield for Zira. Kivuli was battered and scratched from the queen's desperate onslaught. The elder lion falls to the ground defeated he cannot protect his love from Nala anymore, he was too weak. Zira herself was too shocked and upset to fight, after telling about her past to Kivuli everything to her was now different. But nothing could prepare her for the arrival of the forgotten prince Kopa. The prince marches up onto Priderock the blazing red sun behind him, the wind of the sunset blowing through his fur. Kopa stands with his mother. They were gathered for the end. Without their leader to guide them and bark orders at them the grey hyenas were laughing no more as they were quickly scattering across the Pridelands. Simba's Pride were finally getting the advantage. The fighting slowly comes to a halt as one more lioness makes her way up to Priderock. It was Doti. She had being fighting also and she had numerous small scratches across her dark fur. Doti was a previous Outlander and was once loyal to Zira, but not anymore. She was just as angry as everyone else but for her own reason:  
"Do you remember your son Zira? How you treated Nuka like dirt? You forgot about him and all that time all he ever wanted was your love!" The dark dotted lioness growls furiously. When Doti was just an adolescent lioness she fell in love with Nuka under the burning Equinox Sunset many years ago, all that time they lived in the Outlands she was Nuka's mate. Everyone knows how badly she treated him it was all her fault that Nuka died and Doti wasn't going to let her get away  
"Face it Zira, you can't fight us all," Suddenly Kopa, Nala and Doti advance towards their enemy, each one of them having their own reasons to want to end her life right now. Zira could see all the evil she has committed; it was laid out infront of her. Kivuli couldn't fight anymore, he was laid on the floor defeated he tried to get up but he couldn't muster the strength. Zira slowly backs up away from everyone she was getting dangerously close to the end of the Priderock, looking over her shoulder, she was trapped. Kopa, Nala and Doti encircle the malevolent lioness. But only Kivuli questions if Zira is in fact truly evil, he can only whimper and watch, powerless to do anything. Kopa who was attacked as a cub and left for dead, Nala who wanted revenge for the death of her mother Sarafina, and Doti who fell in love with Nuka and has always wanted revenge on Zira for driving her own son into the actions which lead to his death. But killing Zira would not be right. Kopa takes his first step towards being the next Lion King and decides to end everything not with violence but with words, and the Prince Kopa steps forward to deal Zira a punishment far worse than death:  
"You have gone too far this time. You killed and you got others to kill for you. All we wanted to do was help you Zira. Look around you, all this fighting, all this betrayal, all of it has a source, you. Exile is no longer the right punishment for you. So you leave me no choice. You must journey into the abyss that is the Shadowland and there you will meet your end for all time." Listening to her old rival Zira sighs looking down the ground. She thinks back to when she was a cub with her parents and how disappointed they would be if they saw her now.  
"No!" Kivuli shouts objecting to everything, his deep voice echoing across all of Priderock, "I know those Shadowlands Kopa. And I can assure you something much darker and stronger is growing there, you cannot send Zira to that place or everything will be made to suffer; _they _will make sure of it!" Kivuli growls and pushes himself up onto his paws until he roars in pain louder than any lion ever has before. But Zira cannot say a word, she is in shock, falling deeper and deeper into depression, she nuzzles Kivuli with a single crystal tear falling from her eye.  
"I'm sorry my love," Zira says goodbye and squints her eyes; the tears burned her eyes she had not cried in so long. Kopa stands with a serious look of anger on his face as Zira runs for the very last time away from Priderock just before roaring the order for the hyenas to stop. And just like that, it was over. The hyenas fled to four borders of the Pridelands, hopefully never to be seen again, the colony was broken, the hyenas should never return. Everyone in Simba's Pride reunite down on the grass. Kopa nuzzles with Vitani once more, Kovu helps his father Kivuli up towards the lion's den where he can rest and the elder lion was distraught from seeing his mate's demise. Nala lies again with her mother's body, Sarafina's golden fur had already lost its colour, Nala glances over at the Black Scarab her mother was holding and smashes it into hundreds of pieces onto the rock floor of the lion's den...

After getting ordered by the once and future king Kopa, the destroyed lioness Zira makes walks defeated away from the glory of Priderock. She could only realise Kopa was right, she had gone too far. She could have taken your place in the Circle of Life but somehow she knew it wouldn't be the same. Vitani and her friend Doti hated Zira and she had sided with the hyenas that were to partly blame for Scar's death in the first. But before she leaves, the past malevolent queen makes her way to a cave and down a long dark tunnel into a large cavern. She walks into the cave with the waterfall. The cave with the family tree carved into the cavern wall. Sitting there, Zira looks at all the names on the wall. Her own name was placed next to that of Scar. Regretfully Zira uses her claws and scratches her own name from the family tree, her claws screech down the cave wall until her name was no longer visible, the scratching made her claws bleed she did it so desperately. It was time for her to leave. Zira walks off towards the entrance of the cave which nobody knows where it leads to. Nobody has ever gone this entrance, not even Vitani dared go when she was cub. But now Zira fearlessly walks into the dark tunnel through the mysterious entrance to the cave which no one has ever gone through. On the other side Zira is greeted with the Shadowland. A merciless land, the land was covered in old ancient stones; lightning constantly blasted down from the clouds and struck the stones. The land itself was twisted, the gorges were covered in deadly spikes and it seemed to go on for as far as the eye could see. There was hardly any light here, the Shadowland was black. Twister's curved down from the black clouds and spiraled across all of the Shadowland causing constant destruction. Zira makes her way towards a black spiky monument formed from the ground only to find it struck by a sudden flash a blue bright lightning. Zira gasps and runs in fear where she trips and falls into pile of ash hurling dust up around her, tainting her once golden fur to grey. She gets up and brushes herself off. It's only then a sound of quiet hissing could be heard around her. Behind her a purple snake with red stripes slivers up infront of her a blank expression on the snakes face. The snake was called Joka and it lean's upwards on its long rattling tail until its eyes match the level of Zira's.  
"I set everything up for you; I manipulated Malka and then Kopa into returning home for you to get your vengeance. I made the deal with the hyenas so they'd serve you unwillingly. You had everything you needed to become queen but you let that dim imbecile Kivuli touch your heart. You could have of had it all. You could have broken the Circle of Life! But you have failed me for the last time Zira!" The snake hisses at her its piecing voice high-pitched voice throat with anger. The snake jolts away from Zira and silvers across the black ground before turning its head ever so slightly,  
"Do you remember Kari and Uzuri? Your mother and father, what do you think happened to them once you'd left and never returned out of spite? While they were out searching for you Zira, they were murdered in cold blood. They were poisoned. Just think; if you hadn't of run away from home perhaps they might still be alive!" Joka hisses with a deceitful grin on its face and spit falling from mouth. The snake finished before finally revealing to Zira her father's grey scarf as the lioness in shock recognizes the grey scarf. "NO!" She screams and grabs the scarf as it slowly falls through the air, she hugs it in pain. The snake laughs knowing saying all this would be hurt her; it knew all her weak points. "Why are you doing this?" Zira manages to roar in pain under her many tears. Suddenly Zira fills with remorse and suddenly realizes all the evil she has committed, everything she has done, she killed Nuka, she hurt Kovu and Kopa, she was stubborn to realizes she could of had a second chance in the Pridelands to be happy. But now everyone would be happy without her...  
The snake paces up and down slivering while leaned up high on its tail. It decides to continue to explain everything to this pawn of his:  
"The circle of life is a delicate equilibrium between life and death, if either one gets knocked out of balance then it's not just the Pridelands which will fall. But the Pridelands, the Outlands, the Shadowlands and everything beyond that." Zira scowls at the snake before realizing she was just a pawn to this creature, she growls and is about to attack when the snake grabs her and squeezes her, wrapping it's coiling its long fat tail around her tightly. The snake looks right into the eye's of the scared lioness, her breathe was being stolen from her by the snakes tight grip. It squeezes her even tighter, Zira could feel herself fading away, but she manages to mumble her final few words:  
"I-I'm sorry..." Before she can conclude her words she passes away, closing her tired eyes for the final time. Joka the snake uncoils itself and allows her body to fall to the ground lifelessly its gleaming red snake eyes light up in the dark Shadowland as it slivers away without remorse. A deafeningly loud thunder clap rages across the black clouds above as Zira's body is left cling onto the grey scarf which was once her fathers...

The fate of full circle was over. The events started long ago, when a lost female cub was separated from her parents. Washed up on the lonely shore of the Evenstar Beach, she descended into evil in the Pridelands and hurt the successor, the forgotten prince who she attacked and got exiled for. But an elder lion with grey fur named Kivuli saved her, she realized her true place in the Circle of Life. But too late, far too late. Did she get her just deserves? Or was she just a tool in a far bigger scheme... The pasts are now reunited, the malevolent queen is no more, but it was far from over, while the Fate of Full Circle may have ended...Something much darker and stronger is growing in the Shadowlands. And as Kivuli warned: 'Everything will be made to suffer; _they _will make sure of it'.

To Be Continued...

**End of Episode** **X**

**End of Book Two**


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